


Arranged Marriages are Blind Dates that Last Forever

by SkyChasingDreamer



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Arranged Marriage, Crime Fighting, Crimes & Criminals, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Tattoos, Wooing, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-21 14:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 48,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1554404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyChasingDreamer/pseuds/SkyChasingDreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two powerful clans end a dispute and long time feud through an arranged marriage in which the intendeds have never met and don't know anything about each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Gintoki had mixed feelings as he dressed himself in his nicest robes, sighing as the last of his tattoos were covered up. He had to look his best, he'd promised Ba-san as much, so he pulled out some gel and squirted some in his palm. He rubbed his hands together and carefully ran them through his hair to slick it back, but he made sure to keep it loose. He didn't like having his hair matted down against his skull, he only ever used just enough gel to make his perm look halfway decent where his bangs stayed out of his face for awhile.

After the gel, he grabbed his hair spray and gave the bottle three pumps over his head. It kept his hair soft and took away the greasy look that the gel could give him. It'd taken him forever to find a combination that worked and he really didn't care for the whole thing. Why should he give a shit what his hair was doing? He had a natural perm and it was wild even when under the illusion of being tamed, that was the way it'd always been for him.

Today, his hair was the least of his worries and troubles. He'd been awaiting this day with trepidation enough to actually make him nervous, which said a lot because he was the type of person that didn't get nervous over much of anything. Pissing Ba-san off and awaiting punishment made him nervous, things like that were what got to him. It wasn't until recently that one red circle made his palms sweat, his stomach drop, and his fingers twitch in dread. He glanced over his shoulder at where the calendar was pierced into the wall by a few small shurikens he'd thrown at it. They'd all hit their mark within the red circle and that day had finally come, much as he'd wished it not to.

Sticking his tongue out at the calendar, Gintoki looked back at the mirror and double checked that his clothes and hair were in order. Ba-san would give him hell if he looked anything less than his best, this day was too important, she'd say. He didn't want to let her down, but she knew how he felt about the whole thing. Gintoki understood why the stakes were so high, it'd been explained to him more times than he cared to keep track of, but that didn't change his feelings toward it.

He was twenty-two years old and he didn't want to be getting married. He liked being single, he liked doing what he wanted, he didn't want to be tied down to anyone. On top of that, his bride to be was actually his groom to be and he'd laughed the first time the prospect had been presented to him. He'd thought it was a joke, but Ba-san's sour glare had told him otherwise and his mouth had snapped shut and gone dry. It wasn't exactly unheard of for families to marry off their first born children to create an alliance between families, but it wasn't common for both of them to be male. Plus, the guy he was betrothed to wasn't even the first born, the oldest was already married and there were no other options.

The marriage was much needed, not just to put feuds aside and ally two strong and formidable groups, but it was also to be used as a distraction. Other allies of the families needed something to look forward to and plan and distract them from the fighting. Peace was the ultimate goal and _that_ was why this marriage was so significant. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Ba-san, so he'd suck it up and deal with it, but again, that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

Oh, another thing, he had no idea what this Hijikata Toushiro looked like, he wasn't allowed to... until today. That was why there was a red circle on his calendar marking the date, he'd get to meet his intended soon. He'd never seen a picture, never run into him, he didn't have a clue what was waiting for him. He knew they'd arrived already and he had no doubt that Ba-san was treating them to every hospitality they had to offer. Unlimited good food and excellent drink, comfortable seats, whatever they wanted was going to be provided for them. They'd be pampered and treated like royalty because from now on, they _were_ , they were going to be family.

The only thing Gintoki really knew about his intended was that he was younger than himself, but only by a few months. He didn't really care about the age so much, it only mattered to him that the guy was _legal_ , which he obviously was. He just... fuck, he was nervous and annoyed. He knew his life was going to change in a big way, marriage was huge, especially one like this one. And it didn't really bother him that they were both male, they had to do what they had to do and work with it.

There was a knock on his door and he called, “It's open!”

Ba-san let herself in and was quick to look him up and down. “You look nice.”

“Thanks,” he breathed a silent sigh of relief, “how are things out there?”

“It's going well. They're ready for you,” she replied, walking over to him so she could straighten out some of his clothes and gently touch his hair. “You're very lucky you've always looked good in formal dress.”

“Ah... yes, too bad I don't enjoy wearing it.” She gave him a look and he smiled sweetly, letting her walk around him and do her inspection. While she was messing with silk ties around his waist behind him, he bit his lip briefly before asking, “Have you met him?”

“Yes.”

Gintoki's head whipped around. “What's he like?”

“You'll see.”

“That's not very nice, at least give me _something_.”

She finished and walked around to his front, her eyes critical in their examination. “He's not what I expected.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?”

“You'll have to decide for yourself.” She smoothed out the cloth over his shoulders and nodded. “Acceptable.”

“More than acceptable, I'm very handsome! He won't know what hit him!”

Ba-san swatted the back of his head. “If you hit him even once for any reason, you will regret it for the rest of your life!”

“Ack! Yeah, okay! I know!”

“Good. Remember that.”

“It kinda worries me you think I'll have reason to hit him... is he nasty or something?”

“No. Now,” she ran her hands over his shoulders again, almost like she was nervous as well, “you're going to be respectful. You'll be more polite than you've ever been, got that?”

He nodded curtly. “Yeah, I understand.”

They stared at each other for a long moment and shared some quiet and space that felt near heavy.

“Are you ready?”

Gintoki gave her his best grin. “Yup!”

“No,” she smacked him again, “it's only yes! Formal, remember? You're not allowed to use any slang!”

“How is yup slang?”

“Don't you get smart with me, you know it's informal.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

They walked to the door and Gintoki closed it behind him, his heart beating a little faster knowing they were on their way. They walked in silence down the halls and when voices could be heard, Ba-san walked slower like even she was hesitant for this to happen. It was a silent unanimous decision that they stopped outside the door and he waited for her cue because she was the one that had to lead him in and present him.

“Do they know anything about me?”

“Rumors,” she said softly, “that hair of yours makes you hard to forget. Other than that, I can't say.”

“Well,” he gave her another smile that he hoped she believed, “what're we waiting for? There's a very important man in that room that I need to meet, ne?”

With a nod, Ba-san opened the door and the moment they walked in, everything steadily died down. The voices, the banter, the chatter, it grew softer and quieter until it was gone completely. Gintoki could feel every eye in the room on him, but he didn't let his gaze stray. He kept his shoulders back and his head held high and he followed Otose with pride. He may not want to do this, but goddamn it he would be the best representation of her name that he possibly could be.

He was in a dark yukata with a purple sash that matched the trim of Otose's kimono. His sandals made little clicks and clacks against the floor and he was missing his sword, but he couldn't bring it with him. A patch of hair brushed his forehead and he was tempted to push it away, but he instead kept his arms at his sides, he didn't want to give any indication that he was at all nervous. Though... he definitely was. Because of that, he kept his expression carefully void, maybe even stony so that no one would ever be able to guess what he was really thinking. That was a practice he applied to fighting as well and he almost felt like he was on his way to a battle.

Otose stopped in front of a small group of men and Gintoki stood by her side, tall and strong. She thanked them for coming and Gintoki's eyes traveled over each one sitting there, there were four of them, and... he knew right away which one was Hijikata Toushiro. One look at him had Gintoki's blood roaring in a way he had in no way expected.

His hair was long and bound in a tie so it was in a ponytail while his bangs fell in a v-cut over his forehead. Hijikata's skin was bronzed and he was sitting in a perfect seiza position behind a short table with his hands in fists on his thighs. He appeared strong, though Gintoki obviously couldn't get a good look at his body, he got the feeling from his build that Hijikata was a fighter. His yukata was brown, more gold, really, with a darker brown tie and faint leaf imprints in the fabric. But his eyes, those were what really caught Gintoki's attention. They were a striking blue, but there was something about them, something within them that drew Gintoki in.

Hijikata watched him and he watched right back, the air thick as Otose spoke with Tamegoro. The strangest tinge of pink rose up into Hijikata's cheeks and though it was subtle, Gintoki didn't miss it and he noticed that Hijikata's look turned more into a glare when it happened. That was amusing and sort of oddly endearing, though Gintoki gave no reaction to it. They just studied one another in silence, sizing each other up with looks and nothing more.

When he was introduced, Gintoki bowed low and humble, his heart hammering even harder than before. Now wasn't the time for conversation, not until he was invited to sit down and partake in dinner with them. This gathering was to meet and accept each other before they could go any farther with the arrangements. If he was accepted and he, in return, accepted Hijikata, then the next gathering would allow each clan to give gifts in honor of their agreement. After that would begin the preparations for the ceremony and all that stuff.

Gintoki rose from his bow and held his head high once more, his eyes on Hijikata. He was still watching Gintoki with that same form of a glare and Gintoki... liked what he saw. His feelings toward this arranged marriage hadn't changed, but he was interested in this man for a reason he couldn't yet explain, a reason that had his blood pumping and his fingers itching for the hilt of his blade.

**To Be Continued**


	2. When Things Don't Go According to Plan Flee Like There's a Fire Under Your Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata's first reaction to Gintoki is something neither of them expect and yet it makes perfect sense in the messed up situation they've been thrown into.

-o-O-o-

Before the Meeting

-o-O-o-

Hijikata finished binding up his hair when his brother came into the room and Hijikata immediately stood up straighter. It was nerve-wracking as Tamegoro looked him over, but he felt mostly confident that he'd dressed himself appropriately. This meeting was supposed to be formal, but as a casual setting, or so he'd been told... many times. It felt like all he'd heard about since day one was this meeting and how it needed to go well.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Nervous?”

Hijikata shrugged. “Not really. But... why am I supposed to marry a... person... like him?”

“He's Terada Ayano's heir, you know this.”

“He's adopted.”

Tamegoro gave him a sharp look. “You will never mention such a thing, you understand?”

“Yes.” He knew he shouldn't have asked. “It just feels strange having to marry someone that's not even related to her.”

“She won't be having any children at her age and she chose him, don't forget. I'm sure she has many reasons for choosing him and only him.” Tamegoro reached out and gave Hijikata's shoulder a comforting squeeze. “It's going to be alright, you'll see.”

-o-O-o-

Currently

-o-O-o-

Hijikata sat ramrod straight and stared at the one they called the Shiroyasha. He was clad in dark colors instead of the white he was more well known for and Hijikata was certain that nothing was going to be alright. What had Tamegoro been talking about? How in the _hell_ was this going to be any kind of alright?

He stared at Gintoki and didn't know what the fuck to say or do. His mind had gone mostly blank and he hated that his shoulders had drawn up and his face was warmer than he wanted it to be. He hadn't wanted his blush to come out at all, he'd wanted to appear strong and immovable, not lame and flushing. He... this wasn't going how he thought it would and Gintoki wasn't how Hijikata had thought he'd be.

Gintoki came over and sat down across from him and Hijikata could see from his peripherals that everyone was backing off to give them space. A lot of space. Way too much space. Like, there wasn't a single person within earshot, that was how much space they suddenly had. One on one, just them, and Gintoki was watching him with the most unreadable expression. He didn't look happy or sad or upset, he looked blank, like he was empty inside, void of every emotion. His red eyes were unnerving and Hijikata hadn't actually thought they'd be red! He'd heard rumors that they were, but all he'd ever heard about this guy were rumors!

Hijikata's fingers curled on top of his thighs and he felt so trapped, but there was nothing he could do, nowhere he could go. He'd made a promise to his brother and he had full intentions on following through... but he kind of really wanted to punch this bastard in the face. There was just something about him, the way he carried himself, the way he looked, how pale his skin was, whatever it was, it set Hijikata off. He had a short temper as it was and just _looking_ at Gintoki made his temper cut itself in half and burn up like a lit fuse.

“Yo!” Gintoki greeted and Hijikata's body twitched.

 _This_ was it? This was what he was supposed to marry? Hijikata didn't know whether to be offended or insulted or both! Was this some kind of sick joke? His teeth grit and he could feel one of his brows starting to tick, cognizant of his irritation.

“Greetings,” he forced himself to say, but the word sounded threatening.

“Is... something wrong?”

Hijikata tried to bite back what was on his mind, but it came seething out anyway. “If you do anything to hurt my brother or my clan, I'll kill ya.”

Gintoki blinked a few times, then smirked. “Oo, tough guy, huh?”

“Don't you fuckin' mock me.”

“Death threats on a first date? That's a new one for me.”

“This isn't a d-date!”

“Oh! A stutter, how cute!”

Hijikata was going to kill him! What a fucking smug asshole! Hijikata just wanted to reach over and punch that dumb look right off his face! Gintoki was still smirking and it rankled, Hijikata was sure he was going to grind his teeth into dust.

“It's. Not. Cute.”

Gintoki looked like he had something else to say, but some sake and sushi rolls were brought over and presented to them. Hijikata couldn't even speak his thanks and never once took his eyes off Gintoki, he really expected him to do something terrible if he looked away for a second. Gintoki poured them both some sake and took his down in one swig before pouring himself some more. He was so unconcerned, it seemed, and looked around the room like the guy he was going to marry wasn't sitting across from him.

“This place actually looks pretty nice,” he mumbled and brushed some stray bangs back out of his face. When he looked back at Hijikata, his brows went up. “Ah, your face is getting all red, does it do that often?”

“Shut up.”

“That's no way to talk to your intended, you might hurt my feelings.”

“I don't give a shit about y-your feelings.”

“Well, this isn't going so good,” Gintoki drawled with a pout and he put an elbow on the table so he could prop his face on a hand. “I'd hoped we could at least get along a little bit. Especially since you _are_ kinda cute, though, you did just threaten to kill me.”

Hijikata flushed and growled, “You don't think I'm serious?”

“I'm sure I don't know what to think just yet.”

“I'm sure I think you're a b-bastard,” Hijikata snapped, glaring so hard he knew his face was scrunched up.

Gintoki was doing that smirking thing again and it was infuriating. “Really? Already? A little quick on the draw, don't you think?”

“No.”

“Hm...” Gintoki sipped at his sake, “at least you're honest. And so protective, I think I'll like seeing what _really_ makes you blush.”

Hijikata didn't know what it was about this guy, aside from everything, but it pissed him off. He saw red and stopped thinking, just reacted. He didn't this, he didn't want to be married to and stuck with such a creepy perverted asshole! Growling, he pushed the table until it hit Gintoki's knees and suddenly they were both standing and facing off against each other. Hijikata went to punch him, but it got blocked with no retaliation. Gintoki didn't even look surprised! It was like he was just fucking around toying with him and Hijikata was nobody's play thing! He struck Gintoki in the gut and another one of his hits got blocked, which was frustrating. Hijikata was an excellent fighter both with and without a sword, so he didn't get why most of his throws weren't hitting their mark.

“Touchy thing, aren't you?” Gintoki goaded and Hijikata snarled.

“M'not a thing!”

“I like'em spirited.”

Another punch got blocked and Hijikata was _done_.

“Ouch!”

“Fuck!”

“Tosshi!”

At the sound of his brother's voice, Hijikata came back into himself and his anger turned to ice in his veins. There was a gasp and Hijikata saw the blood next, both clinging to his knife and welling up on Gintoki's shoulder through the fabric of his clothes.

“U-um –”

“What the hell is going on?” Tamegoro demanded, coming over, and Hijikata flinched.

“W-we were just – and he –” He'd fucked up, god, he'd fucked up bad! It was even worse that everyone in the room was silent and staring and Hijikata just wanted the ground to open and swallow him whole. “T-the thing i-is, ah –”

“We were fighting!” Gintoki threw out, then waved a hand. “But not in a bad way! We just....”

He trailed off, so Hijikata picked up with the first thing that came to mind, “I like swords! And... and he does too!” Tamegoro facepalmed and Hijikata panicked even more. “W-we like swords a-and....”

“Enough,” Otose – she looked either bemused or barely able to hold in her anger, Hijikata couldn't tell – said, walking over to Gintoki so she should inspect his shoulder. He tried to shoo her off, but Otose smacked him and he held perfectly still after that. “You'll need stitches.”

“What? But it's not even that bad! Or deep!”

“Deep enough to scar.” She leveled Hijikata with a look that made his insides sour and curdle. “I should have you punished for this.”

“It's fine,” Gintoki insisted, “and it's nothing. We're both interested in weaponry and got a little carried away.”

“He stabbed you.”

“He cut me, there's a difference.”

“Yet no difference in the way you're bleeding.”

Gintoki snorted and raised a brow at her. “So send in the doc and get me patched up. There's no reason to make a fuss about this or do something dramatic like punish him.”

Otose's lips pursed and she gave Hijikata a _look_ , she hated him, he could tell. “Fine.” She looked to Gintoki as if to make sure and he gave her a smile and a nod. “We'll discuss this later.”

“Clean him up,” Tamegoro said and Hijikata could _tell_ he was both angry and disappointed – he didn't know which was worse. “We'll be having a long talk after this.”

Tamegoro took the knife from Hijikata's hand and gave him another one of those looks that made his stomach drop. He'd fucked up so bad. He knew he shouldn't have even brought the knife with him, but he figured it'd be something good to have just in case. He sat back down behind the table and drank the sake in the cup, but he wasn't hungry at all. Just seeing the sushi made him feel like he was going to throw up and his face was still so hot, he was mortified.

Gintoki sat back down and made a noise that sounded like he was choking just before he started laughing. It wasn't a loud laugh, but only because he was hiding it behind his hand and Hijikata almost thought him half-mad.

“We l-like swords,” Gintoki said through his laughter. “Oh my g-god I could barely keep a straight face!”

“Shut u-up! Not like y-you were coming up with anything!”

Gintoki's laughter died down a little and he took a steadying breath, his eyes glassy with mirth. “I couldn't tell if it was some kind of gay joke or what!”

“N-no! Fuck! It was just the first thing that came to mind!”

Even more embarrassed, Hijikata looked at the blood on Gintoki's shoulder and grabbed the vessel of water from the middle of the table. He took his napkin as well and went to Gintoki's side. His brother had told him to clean it up and he was going to, maybe it'd lessen the chewing out he was going to get later.

He sat at Gintoki's left and put the water on the table where he could reach it. “C-could you, ah, move your clothes?”

“You do it.”

Flushing, Hijikata gently tugged the cloth to the side to show off the cut and it really was pretty deep. Gintoki didn't act like it hurt though, or even that he minded it, he just sat still and Hijikata could feel him watching. Keeping his eyes on the task, Hijikata dipped the napkin into the water and wiped some of the blood away. He'd need another napkin, probably a few more, but he'd deal with that once the one he was using was used up. He made sure not to pull the clothing too far out of the way so he wouldn't see any of Gintoki's tattoos, he wasn't supposed to see those yet. He was really only assuming Gintoki had any, it didn't really make any difference whether he did or didn't.

“Stop staring,” Hijikata warned.

Gintoki leaned in close, forcing Hijikata to look up and the bastard's eyes were narrowed and piercing. Hijikata didn't back away, there was no way he'd let himself look weak in front of this permy haired asshole! He looked so much more serious than before, but... Hijikata really couldn't tell if it was a ruse or if he was actually angry. And this close, it was hard to discount the very blatant fact that Gintoki wasn't unattractive by any standard... he didn't know why that thought just flashed through his mind.

“The only reason you're still able to stand,” Gintoki whispered, “is because I made a promise to Ba-san that I wouldn't hit you. I'm a man of my word, you'd do well to remember that.”

Hijikata froze and stared, more unnerved than he'd like to admit. With a smile, Gintoki looked away and reached for some more sake while Hijikata fought back an onslaught of feelings he was unprepared for.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Please Cancel My Subscription to Your Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Hijikata messed up, he finds out what exactly the punishment for his actions is going to entail.

Oh, this was too fun.

Hijikata kept shifting and looking around like every single person might attack and that wasn't the worst idea. He'd just insulted half the people in the room, Gintoki didn't need to look around to know they were being watched. He could feel their gazes and it didn't bother him at all, the same couldn't be said for Hijikata. The whole feel to the room had changed, people were still talking, but it was taut, strained. One wrong move and Gintoki's people would be rushing to defend him and keep him safe, not that he needed it.

Not to exhibit poor taste, but the tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

“E-everyone keeps staring,” Hijikata muttered, eyes not leaving Gintoki's shoulder.

“Yeah, I wonder why.” Gintoki could see the moment the panic started to set in and sighed. “Maybe you should do something?”

“Like what?”

The look of faint hope Hijikata gave him was almost cute.

“You're always welcome to gimme a kiss.”

“O-or not!” Hijikata snapped, flushing, and pressed harder on the wound as he cleaned it.

“Ouch-ch! Careful! Make it look like you're hurting me and you'll have your head hacked off your shoulders!”

Hijikata's touch turned gentle, but his fingers were clumsy and the way he treated the wound was amateur. He kept glancing over in the direction of his brother and it reminded Gintoki of an anxious cat for whatever reason. Then, Hijikata's gaze began to flick out to different spots around the room and Gintoki might have guessed he was looking for friends, but it made more sense that he'd know where his own friends were sitting ahead of time since they'd arrived first. Gintoki subtly watched him without turning his head and it took him longer than it should have to pick up on what was making Hijikata extra jittery.

“They're not here,” Gintoki informed, amused. “If they were, that little display would have been a lot messier.”

“They're not?”

“No, weren't invited. I get a little... rowdy when I'm with them.”

“O-oh.”

Gintoki continued to watch him and Hijikata would sometimes look at him, but just as quickly look away. He got a new napkin and mopped up the blood with that, it was nice to see the sight of blood didn't bother him. But then, that was to be expected of a fellow yakuza. Gintoki didn't know what it was, maybe it was the hair coming over Hijikata's left shoulder, but he looked young. They were both young, but he looked _young_. They were only a year apart or so, but it felt like Hijikata was perhaps two to three years his junior. It could have been the way he carried himself or the way he acted with his short temper, but it was just a feeling Gintoki got. He didn't know how he felt about it, aside from interested, and he wasn't inclined to delve too deep into it.

He was just going to do what he was supposed to for Ba-san and that was the extent of it, mostly. Gintoki did have some things he wanted to say to Hijikata, but now wasn't the time. Hijikata glanced up at him and Gintoki didn't react, just watched until the other looked away again. From what he could tell, Hijikata was inexperienced with a lot of things, tending to wounds for one. It wasn't off-putting, but it did make him wonder. Why had this guy been the one chosen for him? He was next in line after his brother to take over, but he was... what was he?

“We never got to eat.”

Hijikata stiffens again. “The meal – ah, dinner isn't over yet.”

“Feels that way.” Gintoki sighed and eyed the delicious looking sushi left mostly untouched on the table. “Feed me?”

“Your hands work just f-fine!”

“Not my right one! You cut me! Why did you cut me?”

“I had a knife and it seemed like a good idea at the time,” Hijikata mumbled and the way his eyes blazed when he glared at things was hard to look away from.

Gintoki felt a smack on the back of his head and knew it wasn't Hijikata, which only left one person. “Ack! Dammit, Tama!”

“This was supposed to be a day off for me, master Gintoki.” Hijikata took that first chance he got to retreat to the other side of the table and sit rigidly in his seat. Tama took his place and began inspecting Gintoki's shoulder with a disapproving frown. “You do realize you've been in here just under half an hour, correct?”

Gintoki _nearly_ winced at her tone. “Oh, really? I haven't been keeping track of the time.”

“Half an hour,” she repeated pointedly as she applied pressure to his wound.

“You're supposed to respect me, you know.”

“And _you're_ supposed to be careful, but you never keep your end of the deal, so why should I be expected to respect you?” She opened a small black bag she'd brought with her and it was kind of pathetic how familiar Gintoki was with it. “I had a relatively quiet life until you came along and suddenly I find myself struggling to keep you in one piece!”

“You're exaggerating.”

“Well, I'm irritated.”

Gintoki gave Hijikata a bored look. “She treats every scrape like I'm about to lose a limb.”

“ _Master_ Gintoki, I'm holding very sharp objects, watch your tone.” She looked to Hijikata and her expression softened. “Are you alright?”

“M-me?” Hijikata asked, ducking his head in a form of a bow and the movement looked weird since his back was so stiffly straight. “Yeah – er, yes. T-thank you.”

Gintoki could almost physically see the 'fine... _for now_ ' pass through Hijikata's head. He was almost too easy to read, like he had no control over his initial reactions whatsoever. That was refreshing in a way as it certainly wasn't something Gintoki was particularly used to, one could even argue that Hijikata was endearing in his honesty. That was another thing, he supposed, that made Hijikata seem younger than he was, but there was a rough element to him, too. His temper, for one, there was nothing smooth about that. Hijikata was prickly and Gintoki wouldn't be surprised if he was used to getting his way through intimidation. It was just too bad Gintoki was a hard guy to intimidate and wasn't put off by shitty tempers.

Tama's voice was harsh, but her hands were careful and light. He barely felt her work and ate some sushi while she prepared her needle. Hijikata kept glaring at things and when he looked at the food, Gintoki thought he was going to be sick. Hijikata's hands stayed on his thighs and they were curled in tight fists, like he wanted to punch everything around him for existing. A sweat had begun to form on his brow and Gintoki could concede that it was hot in the room with all the warm bodies, but not hot enough to sweat.

“Lidocaine?”

Gintoki shook his head. “No.”

“As usual,” Tama uttered and he knew she didn't approve, she never did when he denied numbing agents for things like this. “First suture going in.”

He didn't flinch or wince, he was rather used to the feeling. At this point, he couldn't even say that it hurt, though he would admit that it was mildly uncomfortable. Each in and out of the needle were tight little pinches, like small teeth biting into him. He poured himself some more sake and drank it down, calling that his ward against the discomfiture. It didn't take Tama long before she was tying the last stitch off and putting her tools away.

“Don't use the spray.”

“I'm using the spray.”

“I don't want the spray.”

“You turned down anesthetics, you're getting the spray.”

“You're not going –” She squirted his wound with a small spray bottle that had sterilizing liquid in it and he hissed. “I told you no!”

“You don't have a problem with needles or wounds or broken bones, but you always make such a fuss over this.”

Gintoki frowned at his shoulder. “It burns.”

Tama rolled her eyes and finished packing up. “I was told to leave right when I was done, but rest assured I'll be telling you how stupid you are again later.”

“Can't wait,” he replied and let her put on the last thing, which was a bandage to cover the stitches so they wouldn't snag on his clothing.

When she got up, she patted his head and walked away, leaving him alone with Hijikata again. He was staring with a strange expression on his face and Gintoki didn't like being scrutinized like that by him. He was just about to do something like stick his tongue out just to get Hijikata to stop when the room went quiet again and Tamegoro came over with Otose by his side.

“They're leaving,” Otose said and Gintoki could _hear_ the ice crackling in her voice, though, she should be commended for remaining so composed.

“So soon?”

Tamegoro lowered his head in respect. “We think it's best to try this again another time.”

“Have you decided on his punishment?”

“Yes.”

“I'd like to know it.” The second he saw Tamegoro hesitate, he went on, “It's only fair, isn't it? I just want to make sure the punishment fits the crime.”

Tamegoro frowned, but nodded. “In private.”

Gintoki stood and heard Hijikata get up as well, but he stumbled when his shin caught on the edge of the table. His face went redder after he did that and Gintoki trailed the color with his eyes, tracing it all the way up to the tips of Hijikata's ears. The four of them left through room and everyone was unmoving as they went, no doubt they'd all disperse soon enough. There could even be a skirmish the tensions were so high, Gintoki kind of liked the feel of it. It charged things up, made him want to take up his sword... about as much as Hijikata did. It was strange, but Gintoki wanted to fight him, raise a weapon to him, see what he did and how he reacted.

He made sure to walk by Hijikata's side out of the room, that was expected of him. At least, he thought it was. Hijikata was flighty and distraught, it could be seen in the way he walked and felt in the aura coming off of him. He held his head high though, he didn't slouch or try to hide, and that was another one of those strangely endearing things that had Gintoki watching him. Otose led them into a smaller room connected to the main one and the last time Gintoki had been in it, he'd been eating dango the cook had given him. His stomach growled and he gave it a rub in condolence, he'd get himself some good food after this.

Tamegoro turned around and the rigid line of his shoulders looked like a larger version of Hijikata's. “I'll keep this brief, we have a lot of people in that room that will get anxious if we take too long.”

“I agree, so let's hear it,” Gintoki replied and he held himself firm, squaring his shoulders while remaining genial so as not to come off as threatening.

“He will be disciplined.” Gintoki saw Hijikata flinch from his peripherals. “He'll be demoted to cleaning duty and stripped of all his privileges and confined to his room until further notice. I'd understand if you wished to call this off, though I hope that isn't the case.”

“It's not, our desire to unite our clans remains the same. But I'd like to make my own suggestion in regards to his punishment, if that's alright.”

“I'd like that, yes.”

“A formal apology, that's all I ask. I see no reason to strip him of anything for this nor confine him anywhere. Have him come here and apologize to me properly, that'd be enough.” Tamegoro looked like he couldn't have been more surprised and Gintoki smirked inwardly as he turned to Hijikata and asked, “Is that good for you?”

His face was so red and it was cute how hard he was trying to fight off his glare. “That'd be fine.”

“Good.” Gintoki smiled and rested an arm across his stomach. “That's settled then, we can work out a date later this week.”

Their goodbyes were quick and rushed, Gintoki and Hijikata bowed to one another and it was over. Tamegoro took Hijikata by the arm and led him out and Gintoki escorted Otose down a different hall once they'd walked through the main room so everyone could see them and know they were fine. He glanced over his shoulder as he went, but Hijikata had already been swallowed up by his guards meant to take him away.

“Don't look so hostile,” Gintoki said when they were on their own, their guards trailing far enough behind them to not overhear.

“He cut you.”

“Small cut, he didn't hit anything important. I've still got my natural good looks.”

She shifted her gaze to him and raised a brow. “What did you do?”

“Hm?”

“You had to have said something.”

“Ah, well, I _was_ teasing him a bit.”

“Nothing could have warranted that kind of reaction. I'm going to put an end to this, they can't be trusted.”

He knew she felt guilty, he could tell. She was the one that had pushed him into this knowing he'd do it for her without a fight and he'd gotten hurt in less than an hour. Not hurt badly at all, but he had stitches and he knew she didn't like that, she never liked it whenever he got hurt. If she'd been the one to get hurt, he'd have wrecked that whole room without a second thought, so he could understand where she was coming from.

“Oi, oi! Would you slow down? He's not that bad!”

“You don't know him. They could have planned this! Why else would he bring a weapon?”

“Most the people in there had weapons on them and you know it. And if they'd planned that, then I'd have a lot more than just this one little cut.”

“He disrespected us.”

“Which he feels bad about, but I think he feels worse that he disgraced his clan.” He lowered his head to catch her eye. “I won't argue that it was an accident, but I _will_ argue that it was a mistake and he knows it. I believed what his brother said about his punishment and I believe that it'd be a lot worse than it sounded. They hadn't planned this and I already told them I don't want to call it off, you can't go back on my word, we'd look weak.”

Her lips pursed. “True... we'll see how his apology goes.”

Gintoki grinned a wolfish smile. “Yes we will.”

**To Be Continued**


	4. The Downfall of a Man with a Temper Happens All at Once, Right When it's Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata meets with Gintoki to apologize -- TADAA TERRIBLE SUMMARY IS SHORT AND TERRIBLE //JAZZHANDS

Hijikata waited anxiously in his room, stiff with worry and even fear. No one was talking to him, barely anyone had said a single word to him in days and his brother had left him right after the meeting with Gintoki and Otose, Hijikata hadn't seen him since.

“You will visit him and make it up to them!” Tamegoro had shaken his head on their way out. “The first day! Do you not understand how important that meeting was? Or how important this alignment is? If they weren't so forgiving you could have started a war! And the look she gave me! I thought she was going to go for my throat right there!” He'd given Hijikata such a hard, glaring look. “You will fix this. I don't care how, you _will_ fix it.”

The words were still a fresh wound on Hijikata's pride, a lashing with a frayed and knotted whip. It'd been days since then and Hijikata's solitary confinement had given him plenty of time to think about what had happened. Hijikata did everything on his own, he couldn't see his friends, the only company he had was in books and his guards, who were instructed not to talk to him except for basic things. He ate alone, his food was brought to him at the same times everyday, and he wasn't allowed to go anywhere, not even the dojo to train and blow off some steam.

He'd done things in his room – or his chamber as he'd come to call it – like crunches and pushups, anything to give him something to do. However, nothing could get his mind off of what happened and the gaping absence of his brother was salt in the wound. He spent a lot of his time with Tamegoro, usually. They ate together most of the time and Tamegoro was always teaching him something new, so to not have that anymore, it was torturous. It made Hijikata's anger mount, it was all Gintoki's doing that everything was falling apart one piece at a time. The mere thought of the guy made Hijikata's skin crawl and with each day spent in isolation, his anger and embitterment grew.

Hijikata was currently waiting to be called on because it was the day that had been set aside for him to return to Gintoki and apologize. His guards had informed him of that much, but they hadn't had a time, so Hijikata could do nothing except apprehensively await. He knew he'd have to apologize, that went without saying, but he definitely didn't want to. Of course he'd have to go and fulfill what was expected of him, though, that didn't make the waiting any easier. It'd probably taken so many days for his brother to work out with Otose a time, Hijikata could imagine she was still angry and he had no idea how Gintoki felt about it.

Not that he cared, he just wanted to get the thing done and fucking over with.

A knock sounded on the door. “Oi, you ready?”

“Coming!”

Hijikata went out and was led outside where transportation was waiting. He was already properly primped and polished for the meeting, his hair freshly washed, a clean yukata that he was told looked good on him because what the fuck did he actually know about fashion or color schemes? Looking only at appearance, he was prepared, but mentally? Not even close, he was terrible at apologizing and knew he'd be even worse at it when he had to apologize to someone like Gintoki. He'd rather take up a knife and cut the bastard again than apologize to his dumb, smug face.

The ride was too short and it was only him and his escorts in the car, which meant his brother was in a different one. They used to ride together, but apparently Hijikata's punishment extended to even traveling alone. It was only when they arrived that Hijikata joined his brother, who wouldn't look at him, and they were taken into a large room where Otose sat with guards on either side of her, there was no sign of Gintoki.

“Welcome,” Otose greeted, “have a seat. Is there anything I can get you?”

Tamegoro sat, his guards fanned out to the side, and Hijikata shifted on his feet without moving. “May I... ah, use the restroom? P-please?”

Otose inclined her head. “Of course,” she motioned to a guard, “show him the way.”

One of Hijikata's guards came along as well and he was taken out of the room, then down a couple halls.

“The very end of this hall on the right, make it quick.”

Hijikata went and the thing was, he didn't really need to pee, he just wanted some time to himself. The bathroom was large and ornate, most of it was wooden, but polished wood, so it was nice. He washed his hands and threw some cold water on his face, hoping it would settle his stomach, but of course it didn't. Not wanting to take long and draw attention to himself, he finished quickly and went to leave. Hijikata turned the corner just outside the bathroom door and hopped to a startled stop at the sight of the guy in his way.

“Uh... s'cuse me....”

The other tilted his brown permy head and didn't budge. “Are you the guy?”

“Maybe. Who's askin'?” Hijikata narrowed his eyes at the suspicious character. “And why are you wearin' sunglasses inside?”

“You are! You're the guy!” The man then let out the most obnoxious laugh Hijikata had ever heard in his whole goddamn life. He pushed by and walked into the bathroom, still laughing. “Good luck, tough guy!”

Hijikata's face was twisted and he wanted so much to snap something back at him, but by then the door was closed. His guards came and escorted him back to the room, though Hijikata did look over his shoulder just in case. Who was that weirdo? No matter, he had other things to worry about.

“Gintoki should be with us shortly,” Otose said after Hijikata took a seat next to his brother, there was a pot of tea and three steaming cups on the low table between them. “It's my fault he isn't here, I needed him to run a quick errand for me.”

“That's quite alright,” Tamegoro replied and took a sip of tea. “And they'll be speaking privately?”

“Yes, just there,” she pointed to a set of closed doors, “so not far. It'll give us some time to discuss other matters.”

“We might be needing a second pot of tea for all that.”

Otose, clad in a soft green kimono, hummed in amusement. “Indeed. If the boys can play nice.”

Hijikata's face heated up and he bowed his head. “Y-yes.”

“Glad to hear it.”

She hated him, he could tell. Oh, god, she truly hated him, he could hear it in her voice. She probably wanted to take one of the steaming cups of tea and throw it on him, then shove the cup down his throat until he choked and died. He'd fucked up big pissing this woman off, her voice was like ice, so cool and cold, like his body would be after she ended him.

A door opened behind them and Gintoki's annoying voice rang out, “Here! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!” He walked over to Otose's side and gave both of them a dip of his head. “It's good to see you again.”

Hijikata seriously doubted that, he felt sick just looking at the bastard in his stupid gray yukata. Though, it was interesting when Gintoki got to a knee to give Otose an envelope and whisper something in her ear that made her eyes crinkle at the corners. It was a pleasant crinkling, like she was smiling on the inside, and Gintoki smirked. Hijikata noticed then that Gintoki didn't have any guards with him, it was possible they were outside waiting, but somehow, Hijikata didn't quite think that was the case. It was curious, all masters kept guards with them for obvious reasons, to not have any was foolish.

“Would you like for us to stay or should we leave you be?” Gintoki asked, addressing both Otose and Tamegoro, and Hijikata hated that the moron was speaking for him.

Otose looked to Tamegoro and he waved a hand. “You needn't stay for this, you have my leave.”

“And mine as well,” Otose responded and gave Hijikata a look that made his stomach turn into a rock.

Gintoki stood and Hijikata got up as well, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He didn't look at anyone, he just stared at the floor and followed behind Gintoki, aware that there were eyes staring into his back. Otose's, giving him a warning, Tamegoro's, giving him another warning, the guard's, all of them, and they, too, were probably giving him a warning. Gintoki opened the door and let Hijikata through first, then followed, closing the door behind him with a click of finality. The room they entered was smaller than the room they just left and there was a window, a small table, and pillows to sit on. Gintoki went right over to the table to plop down on the pillow on the far side, that infuriating smirk on his face.

“Need anything to eat or drink?”

Hijikata was so stiff when he sat down across from him and glared down at the table. “No, I'm fine.”

“Very well, I could give you a tour of the place if you'd like? After you give me what was promised to me, of course.”

“I-I'm... supposed to ask how your wound is healing.”

“Oh, that's all well and good, just itchy.” Gintoki leaned an elbow on the table. “C'mon, apologize, get it over with.”

Hijikata grit his teeth and lowered his head about an inch in what was meant to be a bow, but that was as far as he could get himself to go. His body was so tense he could barely move and his fists were clenched so tight his nails were probably making his palms bleed.

“I'm waiting.”

He glared harder at the table and began to grind his teeth. He couldn't get the words out! He'd practiced them over and over – in his head, never aloud – but not a one could pass his lips. It wasn't fair! This was humiliating and he didn't want to let his brother down _again_ , but this guy... he was an asshole. He was such a pig and the way Hijikata knew he was smirking, it had his face flushing in anger.

“Anytime now.”

“S – s...” Hijikata froze with his mouth open, he couldn't get passed that first word.

It sucked and this was only the beginning. Gintoki was cruel and would strip him of every amount of pride he had. Not all at once, but slowly over time, little by little. That was what Hijikata had to look forward to in this farce of a relationship. He knew he wouldn't be happy, how could he be with such a disgusting man? Hijikata bit down hard, then harder until he tasted copper in his mouth. He didn't let up, he couldn't, his temper was flaring and his rage building – he had his fucking pride and he was going to keep it!

Hijikata mumbled something.

“What was that? You have to speak up.”

Finally, Hijikata looked up from the table and turned his glare on Gintoki. “I said _fuck you._ That clear enough for ya?”

Gintoki didn't seem phased at all. “Not the words I was looking for, try again?”

“No.”

“No?”

“You d-don't deserve a fuckin' apology.”

Gintoki's head tilted. “Am I missing something? Pretty sure you stabbed me and I diffused the situation by asking only for an apology. You realize how wrong that whole thing could've gone, right? Our clans could be fighting right now if not for this alliance between us, which isn't anything but feeble at the moment thanks to you.”

“Shut up,” Hijikata snapped, his fists shaking. “You were mockin' me! You knew exactly what you were doin'! You don't give a shit about me!”

“I don't even know you!”

“Doesn't stop you from treatin' me like shit! My brother is so disappointed, he won't even talk to me... I know I fucked up,” Hijikata gave the table a shove, knocking it into Gintoki, “and s'all your fault!”

“ _Mine_? You keep overlooking the fact that you pulled a knife on me!”

“Maybe if you weren't s-such an asshole I wouldn't have felt the need!” They were on their feet and facing off against each other, Hijikata didn't remember making the decision to get up. “Let some asshole like you control me and continue to talk down t'me, there's no fuckin' way!”

“If you hit me, this won't end well.”

Hijikata's anger blinded him to everything, any logical thought bounced right off him, all he knew was what he was feeling immediately right there in the moment. He did know it wouldn't end well if he hit Gintoki, but he also knew that it wouldn't end well if he didn't hit the bastard. He was in a lose-lose situation and the only out he could see was the one right in front of him – end it before it was too late.

It was odd, though, because when he jumped onto the table with his arm cocked and fist ready to land a solid punch, something flashed through his mind. Gintoki looked bored and wasn't even taking a defensive stance, yet it was his voice that rang through Hijikata's head: _The only reason you're still able to stand_ _is because I made a promise to Ba-san that I wouldn't hit you._

It was too late to stop himself. 

**To Be Continued**

 


	5. Up Shit Creek Without a Paddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting

 This wasn't right.

Rather, this wasn't going how it was supposed to. Like, not even close to how it was supposed to and that really wasn't good.

Gintoki kicked the table and Hijikata lost his balance, though still followed through with the punch. Since he'd been thrown off, his fist struck Gintoki's right shoulder. It was a good hit, solid, it would definitely be leaving a bruise and Gintoki was glad it wasn't his injured shoulder or he'd be pissed off. Already Hijikata was coming at him again, his face flushed in anger and eyes narrowed into pinpoints of ice blue. Gintoki took a step back and parried without striking back.

He watched Hijikata's feet, how he moved, and which side he favored when he stepped. Gintoki dodged a kick, blocked a punch, they were both strong attacks, enough to drive Gintoki back a step or risk a blow. He surveyed Hijikata's style, took note of his preferences, it was easy to see things when his movements were fueled by anger. Emotion gave the game away and Hijikata, he was all emotion, Gintoki had figured that out really quick.

“Calm down already,” Gintoki said, dropping his shoulder and driving it into Hijikata's chest when he saw an opening to do so.

Hijikata took a couple steps back and the breath he inhaled was wheezing since Gintoki had forced the air from his lungs. But the surprising thing was that Hijikata wasn't deterred, he glared and caught his breath, then came froward again. The guy was interesting, Gintoki couldn't deny that. There was just so much _emotion_ in everything Hijikata did and even though those emotions were easy to read and made Hijikata somewhat predictable, there was something really appealing about it. It got a rise out of Gintoki, it made his blood flow a little faster and heat up, he wanted to meet Hijikata's emotion with some of his own.

He didn't, of course, he wasn't allowed, but the want was there in bulk.

“Fight me seriously, asshole!”

Well, he couldn't, but Hijikata didn't need to know that.

Gintoki watched how Hijikata stepped and was pleased to see that he was using the opposite foot this time. He'd noticed Hijikata struck from both sides, but that he could switch his lead foot and still create pretty strong attacks, that was really something. Gintoki didn't come across too many ambidextrous people anymore, but he'd fought enough to know that they could be deadly if they hid their trump until the right moment. Obviously Hijikata wasn't even thinking about that, he got so worked up when his feelings took hold that Gintoki was sure the only thing he had on his mind was _attack, attack, attack._

Still, it was exciting Hijikata could switch like that. Raw was the word for Hijikata, his raw emotion, his raw attacks, he spoke with his face and movements instead of with his words. It was fascinating, really, and Gintoki found himself wondering and wanting to see what would happen next. Everyone had buttons, a lot of times they were called pressure points, and Gintoki was good at finding them. With Hijikata, it didn't take much to ignite a spark and honestly, that was kind of nice.

It wasn't what Gintoki had expected from Toushiro Hijikata, that was for sure.

“Listen!” Gintoki yelled, sidestepping a kick with his hands in the air. “This union has nothing to do with love, you don't even have to like me! I really couldn't care, it's just important, okay? Your clan and mine, this alliance is _important_!”

“I know it is!” Hijikata snapped, some of his hair falling down out of his tie onto his shoulders. “But I can't fuckin' stand you!”

“So don't stand,” Gintoki replied and swiped a leg under him, knocking him off his feet. Literally _right_ after he did it, he remembered that he wasn't supposed to be doing stuff like that and he smacked his own forehead. Hijikata had hit the floor on his ass with a thud and if he was angry before, now he was furious. Gintoki knew he only had himself to blame, he really was the biggest idiot sometimes and shit tended to backfire on him. “That wasn't – ah, that is to say, that was a reflex! A reflex! I shouldn't have done that!” He held out a hand for Hijikata to take, but it came as little surprise when his hand got slapped away. Hijikata got up on his own and his face was so red that if steam started coming out of his ears Gintoki wouldn't find that out of place. “There's no reason this needs to get out of hand anymore than it already has. Would you just stop for a second? ”

“Go die!”

Gintoki let out a frustrated huff. “I take that as a no.”

Hijikata came at him again and Gintoki didn't know what the hell he was meant to do. He wasn't really allowed to fight back, he obviously couldn't talk to the guy at all, his hands were basically tied here. Gintoki knew he could be really terrible when it came to wording things right and that was something he was working on, but he wasn't very good at it yet. Clearly he had a long way to go if they'd only been in the room alone together for a little bit and already he'd pissed Hijikata off enough to attack him _again_.

Sighing, Gintoki dodged a hit by jumping up over the table to get it between them. Irritation and desperation made Hijikata clumsy and erratic – in a fight, that was like a signal of the end. That last ditch effort would either make Hijikata the victor or he'd be dead, but seeing as Gintoki didn't plan on killing him or hurting him, he would only leave Hijikata with some bruises and battered pride. He didn't want things to be like this, he'd had a somewhat clear idea of what he'd wanted to have happen in this meeting and so far not a single thing was going how he wanted it to. That was life, he mused, so all he could do was take it in stride.

Gintoki was confident in his own skills, most of which he didn't need to harness in this situation. He had to hand it to Hijikata though, he was keeping Gintoki on his toes. It'd been that way since they first met, there was just something about him that had Gintoki actually paying attention instead of losing interest. This was, in its own way, kind of fun, definitely a change for him. Then again, it wasn't often he came across a situation where he wasn't allowed to fight back. Sometimes he really did hate that stupid speck of morality Otose had instilled in him, making him feel like he had to keep his word when all he wanted to do was introduce his knee to Hijikata's face.

Hijikata landed a glancing hit on Gintoki's hip and Gintoki observed at Hijikata's feet. Once more, Hijikata led with either foot, so Gintoki had to judge his body language to figure out which foot he'd step with next. He watched the tilt of Hijikata's hips, where he was putting his weight, which direction momentum would take him, each detail a factor and Gintoki missed very little. He'd had his share of getting his ass kicked, but no matter how much experience he'd garnered, he was always open to learning more. The learning process for this stuff never actually ended, he didn't think he'd ever be a master of any of it, but he was doing his best.

“Ugh!” Hijikata snarled in frustration as Gintoki spun nimbly to the left to avoid a hit to his throat. “You're so goddamn annoyin'!”

He wanted to tell Hijikata that he was many things and yes, annoying was one of them. He wanted to tell Hijikata that he didn't want to fight with him in this context and that he didn't want Hijikata to dislike him. Things would go so much smoother and easier if they could get along and he wanted to tell Hijikata _why_. Gintoki wanted to explain that there was literally a reason for all of this and Hijikata not liking him hadn't been part of the plan. There was a lot at stake and a large portion of things hindered on him and Hijikata uniting their clans by marrying each other. It wasn't Gintoki's first choice in terms of course of action, but he was out of options and time wasn't on his side, either.

However, despite having so much to say, he lacked the _ability_ to say anything at all. Every single one of his attempts had led right to this – Hijikata taking a swing to try and punch the teeth right out of Gintoki's mouth. He ducked in time, but Hijikata was coming at him again, just like before. Gintoki didn't mind when people didn't like him, such feelings were a waste of time, but he'd really failed trying to get Hijikata to like him. He'd actually been trying! He hadn't meant to be antagonistic or whatever, he really thought their meeting would go well! Maybe he wasn't as likeable as he thought he was....

“Oi, asshole,” yelled Hijikata, Gintoki noticed the sweat on his brow, “q-quit zonin' out or I'll kill ya!”

Would he?

Gintoki seriously wondered, he knew Hijikata's anger was something to contend with, but would he actually go for a kill strike? Somehow Gintoki doubted that and he didn't know why he had any doubts at all with the way Hijikata looked like all he wanted out of life was to rip Gintoki's face off. Why couldn't Hijikata understand the gravity of the situation? He didn't get it and Gintoki didn't know how to express anything right. He couldn't help thinking he'd really fucked things up and the thought of Otose being disappointed in him was irritating, he didn't like the way that made all of his organs feel like they were drooping down and twisting.

“Fucker!” A fist connected with Gintoki's injured shoulder. “Take me seriously!”

It was luck more than anything that Gintoki was able to tilt his body in time to use his forearm to block the hit directed at his throat. His shoulder was throbbing, the stitches were probably torn and bleeding, and he didn't know what the best thing to do was. He was so used to just being able to cut his opponent down that when he couldn't and that option was taken away, he floundered. And Hijikata's hair was _really_ distracting! It was falling even more out of the tie holding it and, pissed off with very few alternatives, Gintoki reached out and grabbed a fistful of it.

“What're you – let go!”

Hijikata squirmed and Gintoki twisted his fingers. “No! Not until you listen!”

They jostled back and forth, Hijikata tried to free himself and Gintoki did his best to dodge the elbows aimed for his gut. It required him to take some steps away, but he didn't let go of Hijikata's hair and he used his feet to deflect kicks headed for his toes and shins. He knew it was ridiculous and childish and that they probably looked stupid, but what else could he do?

“B-bastard!” Hijikata threw a punch and Gintoki had to yank on his hair in order to get out of the way. “I'm gonna –”

The door slid open with a slam.

Caught in the act, Gintoki froze with Hijikata's hair still held firmly in his grip. Any other time and he'd have just used the leverage to smash his opponent's face into something solid, but he couldn't do that, obviously. So, with Tamegoro and Otose staring him down, he froze and stared back and his mind became a repeated cycle of question marks over and over. Hijikata had frozen as well and his body was heaving with each panting breath he took while one of his hands clutched Gintoki's yukata, it was probably originally meant to punch him or push him.

“No, okay, before you say anything,” Gintoki fumbled to think of something to say, “it's not what it looks like!”

“Dammit!” Hijikata seethed and drove an elbow hard into Gintoki's gut. “Let go already!”

Gintoki released him and took a step away for good measure. He could _feel_ the atmosphere in the room changing and it definitely wasn't a good sign. Otose had her hands in her sleeves and Gintoki gulped, but straightened up so he was standing with his head held higher. The guards were just outside the door ready and waiting for the signal to come in and the two sides were watching each other suspiciously. The air had become stagnant and cold, not physically cold, but there was a definite chill amongst the static.

“Tosshi, are you hurt?”

Hijikata was putting his hair back up into its tie as he glared at the floor. “No.”

Tamegoro's jaw was set. “Come, we're leaving.”

“Wait,” Gintoki took a step forward, “if I could just exp –”

“Let them go,” Otose interrupted and Gintoki shut his mouth at her tone.

Hijikata looked at him and _for once_ , it looked like he finally understood how monumentally they'd both just fucked up. His eyes flicked to Gintoki's shoulder and when Gintoki actually looked at it himself, he immediately covered it up with his hand. His hand wasn't big enough to shield the entire bloodstain from sight, but he could at least get part of it if he spread his fingers.

“This wasn't –”

“Silence, Tosshi!” Hijikata visibly flinched and lowered his head, but his fists were in balls at his sides. “I said we're leaving.”

Tamegoro said something quietly to Otose before he turned and strode away. Hijikata didn't speak, he didn't look Gintoki's way, he just grit his teeth and went to where the guards were waiting. Otose came into the room and was headed for Gintoki – she didn't glance at Hijikata when they passed.

When she reached him, the first thing she did was smack him on the back of the head.

He deserved that.

“It really wasn't quite what it looked like,” Gintoki whispered to her, lowering his head a little.

She pulled his hand away from his shoulder, demanding, “Let me see.”

“This can wait, it's nothing! We should stop them!”

“Let them go.”

“But –”

“Don't make me repeat myself.” Gintoki snapped his mouth shut and stared at the blood on his hand. Otose inspected the stitches in silence, then sighed. That one sound, soft and emulating what could only be disappointment in him, was enough to unleash waves of guilt that raked through Gintoki's entire body. “Go see Tama. I'll call for you later.”

Gintoki knew she didn't want him to speak and for the life of him, he could think of nothing to say. Putting a hand back on his shoulder, he grabbed on tight and squeezed until blood started seeping out down off his elbow and onto the floor. He was furious with himself for fucking up and kept his hold tight enough for pain to throb through his whole shoulder as he set out for Tama like he'd been instructed to.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Boom Goes the Dynamite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After screwing up yet again, Hijikata is forced to come to terms with the situation he's in, but it might just be too little too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

**Boom Goes the Dynamite**

Hijikata was the angriest he had ever, _ever_ been. That probably wasn't true, but it was how he felt as he paced to and fro. Kondo and Sougo had come to join him some time ago, he couldn't recall exactly when, and he was mostly just ignoring them. He had a lot on his mind and he'd barely eaten or slept since he'd returned a couple days ago and overall, he was just a wreck.

He'd fucked up.

But it was more than that, he'd fucked up so bad that the whole wedding thing had been called off and it was eating him alive. Every time he tried to sleep, everything that happened ran through his head over and over again and kept his mind so busy that he couldn't fall asleep. Regret and anger tore into his gut and shredded him from the inside, making every attempt to eat futile because he just felt like he was going to puke it right back up. He was disgusted with himself and the situation as a whole and it was almost worse that Tamegoro wasn't doing anything to punish him. Hijikata wasn't being denied anything, he could do whatever he wanted, go wherever he pleased, but Tamegoro refused to see him.

“T-Tosshi... are you okay?” Kondo asked, though, he'd probably asked something similar at least once before.

“Do I _look_ okay?”

Sougo flicked Hijikata with a hair tie he'd found. “You look worse than ever.”

“Shut up.” In his pacing, Hijikata caught sight of one of the guards by his door that happened to shoot him a _look_ before quickly looking away again. “Look'it me like that again, you fuckin' bastard! I fuckin' dare you! I'll cut your head clean off your g-goddamn shoulders!”

“Now, that's no way to talk to any of them, they're just doing their job.”

Hijikata couldn't find it in himself to snap at Kondo, so instead replied sullenly, “Don't care.”

He went back to his pacing and his head was throbbing from going over everything so many times. Every event, every word, every action, it all cycled through on repeat and he analyzed every part of it. He could _almost_ get himself to believe that his actions were justifiable, but then the fact that his brother refused to acknowledge his existence slammed into him and he felt sick.

“Disowned!” Hijikata burst, throwing his hands up. “I'm disowned! Might as well just be thrown out with the fuckin' trash! Chop all my hair off! Become a street pedaling nobody!”

“I can help you with that hair problem,” Sougo said, spinning a dagger between his fingers.

Hijikata threw a pillow into his face. “Unhelpful!”

“Well, your brother hasn't come to see you yet...” Kondo said.

“Which is worse! He's makin' me _wait,_ he knows I hate waitin'! I'd rather he punish me now than have to wait it out!”

“Can't you just say you two were sparring?”

“There was nothin' about that situation that looked remotely like sparring! He had me by my _hair!_ ”

“Shame you won't get to see his tattoos,” Sougo remarked and... why was he there again?

What purpose was Sougo serving? He only ever pissed Hijikata off and this was no exception! It felt like Sougo was specifically goading him because he knew how upset Hijikata was and that was unacceptable!

“Like I give a damn what his tattoos are! He could have a huge fuckin' unicorn with rainbows comin' outta its ass for all I care!”

He wasn't in the least bit curious what Gintoki's tattoos were of! He had more things to do and more things to worry about than what Gintoki had plastered permanently on his body.

“Are his eyes really red like they say?”

Hijikata graced Sougo with an annoyed look. “Yeah, now could ya maybe focus?”

“Blood red or more chestnut hazel?”

Running an irritated hand through his bangs, pushing them back, Hijikata replied concisely, “Blood.”  
“Cool.”

“He's _not_ cool.”

Sougo rested his head on a hand. “So what is he?”

“Arrogant, spoiled, rude, ugly – he's a fuckin' pretentious prick!” Hijikata wanted to throw something, but instead just rung his fingers. “With a _perm_!”

“And red eyes.”

“Sougo, you useless piece of shit! Don't you have poor defenseless animals to torture?”

“What do you think I'm doing here?”

“Out! Get _out_ before I kick your ass!”

Chuckling, Sougo got up and thankfully went to leave. He was a few years younger than Hijikata, but the kid had developed certain skills that were well beyond his age. He was a sadist and Hijikata and Sougo had never really gotten along very well because of it. Kondo played the part of being a mediator between them and Hijikata rarely did anything alone with Sougo, he couldn't be trusted with anything.

Sighing once he was gone, Hijikata covered his eyes with a hand. “I really fucked up. I cut him with a dagger and _still_ fucked everything up after they gave me a second chance.”

“We all make mistakes, Tosshi.”

“Not like this!” He threw his hands in exasperation, he'd been doing that a lot. “This is the most Tamegoro has ever asked of me and I fucked it up beyond recognition!”

“Asking you to marry someone you don't know isn't exactly fair.”

“But that's the world we live in! It's how things are, stuff like that happens all the time! Clans marry off their heirs to solidify alliances and make themselves stronger, this was my part and I couldn't do it!”

Kondo nodded sympathetically. “Is that really why you're so angry though?”

Hijikata didn't need to ask what he meant, he'd known Kondo long enough to be able to read into the buried question. Leave it to Kondo to hone in on something so subtle and only obscurely hinted at.

“No.” He took a deep breath to calm himself, this wasn't easy to admit. “He tried to get me to stop, he'd tried to reason with me and I couldn't slow down long enough to hear him.”

“It _is_ difficult to get through to you when you're worked up.”

“I know! A-and just – he got me s-so worked up! I wouldn't have given a shit if we were surrounded by people, I'd still be going for his throat!” Hijikata was shaking in latent anger and the wave of shame and embarrassment that hit him all over again made it worse. “He wasn't even takin' me seriously.”

Kondo was confused a moment, but then both his brows popped up. “You don't mean....”

“I could barely land a hit! All he was doin' was dodgin' and the only reason he grabbed my hair was 'cause I think it amused him! H-he's big, but he moved like he was fuckin' weightless and half his size, his feet barely made a sound!” His fists clenched. “I'mma damn good fighter, you know I am, and he just... fuck him! I didn't stand a fuckin' chance! T'ch! Makes me wanna punch him in the face even more!”

“We've all heard about his prowess.”

“I didn't think it was real! I was so sure he'd been exaggerated!”

Kondo scratched his chin. “If the stories we've heard are true or at least have some truth to them, that's... a little terrifying.”

“I wouldn't say terrifying,” Hijikata replied indignantly, but no other worthy description came to mind.

“Toushiro!”

Now, _that_ voice was terrifying.

Hijikata's eyes went wide. “I'm a dead man.”

“Oh, look at the time!” Kondo shouted and jumped to his feet. “There's things to do!”

“Don't you dare leave me here! You ca –”

Mitsuba burst through the door. “ _You!_ ”

Kondo's escape was so fast Hijikata barely even saw him go, he just suddenly wasn't there anymore.

“M-Mitsuba! H –”

“Shut up!” Hijikata shut his goddamn mouth. “ _What_ were you thinking?”

“I-I don't k-know what you're ta –”

“Who do you think you're talking to?” She stood in front of him and stared him down. “Tell me the truth. All of it. Right now.”

By god and all the powers that be, Hijikata told her everything from the beginning. It spilled from his mouth, came rushing out like a geyser, and once he got started, there was no stopping him. He spoke, she listened, and the whole time Hijikata felt hot under the collar, but he did exactly as she told him and left nothing out. He'd known she'd been busy with a lot of things, so he hadn't expected to see her anytime soon. It only made sense that she had work in time into her hectic schedule just to come rip him a new one for fucking up so bad.

“I couldn't imagine spending another minute with him, let alone the rest of my life!” Hijikata paced and hated himself a little more with each step as he began to finish his tale. “Do you know the things I'd have to do? Give him gifts, go to the bathhouse and wash his back when we have to show off our tattoos, I'd have to be by his side, pretend I support his smug ass, and when we got officially married? I'd have to _kiss_ him! Kiss him and pretend I'm not totally disgusted by his existence! I'm not even gay!”

“You're being selfish, Tosshi.”

“He made my skin crawl! Being close to him, sitting across from him, I couldn't stand him!”

“That doesn't make it any less selfish.”

Hijikata felt his face get red and his temper flared. “Why should I have to give up my life and change who I am for someone I don't want? A _marriage_ I want nothing to do with?”

“Because you need to,” Mitsuba replied, her brown eyes sympathetic. “It's what's expected of you. Your parents –”

“My parents were a wreck! My father was an emotionally stunted man that hated his life with the woman he was forced to marry and both of them only spent time with my brother when they were required to do so. My father was so unhappy that he ended up with a substantial harem that included my mother. A mother that I don't remember because she died giving birth to me, which my father blamed me for, and as a result I got treated like the literal bastard that I am. And now? Now I get to be pawned off to a fuckin' _asshole_ that I want nothing to do with just because I'm the last piece my brother has to play!”

She slapped him.

It was a light slap, but it was a _slap_ nonetheless and that was the first time she'd ever done that to him. It didn't hurt, but he sure as hell was frozen in place with not a single thing coming to mind, he was that shocked.

“It isn't fair to you, I know,” she said and the hardness slowly creased out of her face, “but it's not fair for you to condemn your brother for this, either. Your father left this clan in a deep hole that your brother is trying to get us out of. He doesn't want to send you away anymore than you want to go, but to have _Terada Ayano_ offer her heir to us... we'd have to be stupid to turn that down. _Any_ clan would be mental to turn an offer like that away!”

Hijikata sighed miserably. “I _know_. I do, I know, I get it. I fucked up, so how do I fix it?”

“Get your ass in with your brother, apologize to him, then set up a meeting where you can formally apologize to them. Beg if you have to, show them contrition, promise them you won't cause trouble again. For all we know Terada Ayano is already making plans to set her heir up with someone else and you can't let that happen! Offer a gift, _show_ them you're worthy, and do it now before they forget about you completely and this clan continues to get weaker!”

Hijikata's heart was pounding and he nodded, going for his sandals. He'd wasted enough time feeling sorry for himself and Mitsuba was right, she usually was, he was being selfish. His clan had been in jeopardy for years, barely clinging onto what little merit his father had left behind amidst a large amount of debt and lost connections. That Tamegoro had managed to salvage so much and maintain a good reputation, however falsified it might be, was incredible and a stroke of good fortune. If the clan was going to survive, something drastic needed to happen.

Like Hijikata being married off to a wealthy and prosperous clan that was well known to all others.

It wasn't an instant fix for Hijikata's clan, it wouldn't make everything better right away, but it was a start. It would bring in money, it would offer more alliances, it would get them more recognition and broaden their reputation. It would give Tamegoro more options to work with, it would give the rest of his clan hope for the future, he just needed to suck it up and do his duty. His father had also been put in a relationship he hadn't wanted, but it had given the world Tamegoro – Hijikata could only hope something good would happen to himself as well.

“I'll see you later,” he said to Mitsuba.

“Good luck!” she called after him, but he was already out of the door.

Hijikata hurried to the room his brother was in and made short work of the halls leading there. When he saw the guards on the outside, they didn't stop him from going in and that got him thinking. He didn't have much time to think, but if Tamegoro's guards weren't stopping him, then maybe they weren't told to. Hijikata's heart lurched and beat faster because perhaps this was what Tamegoro had wanted him to do. Which only meant that he'd wasted time and was probably disappointing his brother even more by taking so long to get his shit together.

Entering the room, he went right to where Tamegoro sat and ignored the other two people in there. He was already blushing, but he had to get passed that and try his best not to stutter. He was an heir, but he sure as fuck hadn't been acting like one.

“Tamegoro,” Hijikata bowed his head low, “I m-messed up. I know I did. I want to make things right and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to do that.”

Tamegoro sighed, he sounded relieved. “Glad to hear it. I think I have an idea that might work, but you can't lose your temper anymore. This is your _last_ chance, given that they're even willing to forgive us.”

Hijikata lifted his head in surprise. “You're not going to punish me?”

“I should, you deserve it, but there's no time. We've wasted enough time as it is and the only thing that's in our best interest is moving quickly and forgetting everything else for now.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“We'll need to make contact first, it's best that you do that, it'd look bad if I spoke for you, it wouldn't feel sincere if it came from anyone else but you.” He motioned for Hijikata to sit. “I've been working things out with my consults, you're familiar with Isao and Shoji.”

Hijikata knew them, but didn't spend much of any time talking to them. They worked closely with his brother and Hijikata didn't have consults of his own yet – his friends didn't count as 'official' ones.

“Yes, it's good to see you both.”

They bowed low to him, which he always found weird when other people did that. He knew it was protocol and all that, but that didn't make it any less strange. He _was_ a bastard, not everyone treated him with the same sense of formality. Tamegoro started talking and Hijikata looked to the papers that were strewn across the table when he was directed to them. Apparently the idea was to start with a written apology, then onto a verbal one from Hijikata himself. That wasn't the only part of it and it looked to be pretty labor intensive, but like hell was Hijikata going to voice a single utterance of protest against anything his brother asked of him.

Not five minutes later, something small came flying in through the open window and at first Hijikata didn't know what it was. He stared at it just a second before the guards in the room were screaming and Hijikata was being shoved down. He was pushed just in time because barely a breath later there was an explosion so large that the whole room shook. Hijikata felt his ears pop and debris hit him, but his arms were up over his head to protect the most vulnerable part of him. Wind whistled and whipped so hard that Hijikata could feel himself be bodily moved by the blast.

By the time Hijikata felt safe enough to lift his head, there were two bodies that he could see that weren't moving. One of the guards was on his side with his eyes open, his left leg missing entirely with blood pooling all over the floor. Hijikata's head hurt and the room was spinning a little, but he could hear voices somewhere, he just couldn't tell where. His brother came into view and there was blood streaking down one of his arms, but he was on his feet and yelling. Hijikata knew he was yelling because the vein in his neck that only appeared when he yelled was there.

Shaking his head, Hijikata slowly got to his feet and saw that more than half the room had been blown away. The only thing that had saved Tamegoro from being obliterated was the table that had been in front of them before had flipped over and blocked him from a majority of the blast.

Overall, he felt fine.

It wasn't until he reached up to brush his bangs out of his face and his fingers came away red and bloodied that he thought something might be wrong with him.

**To Be Continued**


	7. Everything Else is Background Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gintoki has been spending his time wracking his brain to figure out how to fix a wrong he helped make, his tentative solution, he hopes, will do some good.

“Master, you're going to be late to your meeting.”

“Meetings,” Gintoki scoffed and didn't look at his guard.

He had several of them, they all hated guarding him – he was sure – and the one who had just spoken to him was called Scab. Some of them had their given name, but others had chosen to take on a nickname to be referred to as. Scab had come to the house many years ago, before Gintoki had arrived, and had chosen to drop his surname right away. From what Gintoki understood, the man had picked off his old life like a bad scab and started new.

Gintoki knew each of his guards, but there would always be a barrier between himself and them. He didn't exactly want there to be something insurmountable cutting them off from him, but he knew and begrudgingly understood why there had to be. Their job was keeping him safe, even at the cost of their own lives, and Otose had always warned him of the danger of growing too fond of those he could certainly lose at some point. Gintoki figured he'd lose everyone at one point or another since death excluded no one, so he had a terrible habit of being what was considered _too good_ to his guards. The only reason a majority didn't favor him very much was just because Gintoki often made it hard for them to keep track of him.

He didn't like to be watched, see. Again, it was a thing he understood the significance of, but being looked after round the clock like a child wasn't Gintoki's style. He liked to go where he wanted and do as he pleased, none of which he could really do when he had people following him around at all times of the day and night. Subsequently, he'd become a master of getting himself out of any and every situation. It was actually kind of impressive, he had to admit, and that wasn't him being cocky, he honestly just had a talent for it. It was a talent no one was really impressed with, but Gintoki himself rather valued the ability.

“Master.”

Hissing, Gintoki threw his arms up. “Okay! Yes, meeting! Fine, I'm going!”

“You know they'll come looking if you don't show up.” There was but a second of a pause before a soft, “Again.”

“I heard that!” Gintoki called as he rolled off the tree branch he was sprawled out on.

He landed easily on his feet and gave Scab a _look_ before putting his hands behind his head and trudging off to his room. He could hear Scab following behind him and honestly, it was kind of nice when there was only one. Not only was one easier to lose, but the whole idea of being guarded was a lot less annoying somehow. Gintoki had a _thing_ about authority and it wasn't a secret by any means.

Gintoki got into his room after a short, yet brisk, walk and started to change into more proper clothes. It wasn't an important meeting so he could remain mostly casual, but he had to wear something other than a yukata that was dirty and covered in drying sweat. He knew he should take a shower or wash up, but this meeting was literally not even important enough for that. It was just a little get together with some advisors that lived on the premises and they wanted to brief him on some things. It was stuff he'd have to get used to doing and handling on his own, he was aware, but Otose did such a great job on her own, she didn't really need him for this kind of stuff yet.

“How long do you think this is going to take?”

“Not sure,” Scab replied, “it's been postponed so many times it could take a couple hours or more.”

“Ugh.”

“You might as well start getting used to it.”

“C'mon, don't say that, it's depressing.”

Scab leaned against the door frame as Gintoki continued getting ready and asked, “You find the duties of an heir depressing?”

“Sometimes.”

“I'll trade ya.”

Gintoki barked a laugh. “I think that's why I mind you the least out of all the guards, Scab. You're a good guy.”

“Don't know how that makes me a good guy, but I thank ya for the praise.”

“Does this mean you'll make it easier for me to sneak off next time I want to?”

Scab idly picked dirt from under his nails with a knife. “Absolutely not.”

“Well, that just means I'll have to be more creative with my escape routes.”

“I'd ask ya to behave instead if I thought it'd do any good.”

Gintoki snorted and slowed as he finished his hair. “Say, is the old bag less irritable yet?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“She knows I'm figuring things out, right?”

“You'd best hurry.” Scab looked up from his dirt mining. “How many days has it been since nothing has happened?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence there, buddy.”

“Consider it payback for some of your disappearing acts.”

“Just some?”

“Nothing could make up for how many times you've been a pain in my ass.”

“I'd say that's no way to talk to your master, but I don't give a shit. It's actually kinda refreshing to have someone talk to me like this instead of trying to kiss my ass all the time.” Gintoki turned on him and motioned to himself. “How do I look?”

“Fine for a meeting, but still in deep shit with the boss.”

“Right, thanks for that. Now, let's get this meeting out of the way.”

-o-O-o-

It took an hour and half before Gintoki was able to make up an excuse to get himself out of the meeting. It was a solid excuse, one that was easy to buy, and once he was out of the room he was running down the hall. Holy fuck, that had been so goddamn boring he felt like he was going to crawl right out of his own skin. He'd gotten most of the high points from all the chit chat, but he was all chattered out and needed some time away.

During the meeting, Scab had been replaced by a different guard that didn't exactly have a name. Everyone just kind of called him Quiet since that was what he was, very quiet. He also couldn't speak, he'd lost his tongue a long, long time ago and Gintoki had heard every story under the sun on how it had happened. He'd bitten it off himself when he was being tortured so he wouldn't tell the secrets of his previous master, or he'd gotten it cut off during said torture, or he accidentally bit it off in a fight – the stories are close to endless. Quiet didn't know how to read or write, either, so all he did was take verbal commands and silently carry them out, which made him invaluable. He followed orders really well and he was also, in Gintoki's experience, one of the tougher guards to ditch.

Too bad Gintoki needed to get away for awhile.

He was glad Otose didn't punish any of the guards for losing him and Gintoki was fine enduring whatever reprimand he got for doing it. That meeting though, it was a good thing he'd thought of something clever to get himself out of it. His brain had started to melt and it would have started oozing from his ears if he'd stayed any longer. Advisers were important and everything, but Gintoki thought that the way they talked was specifically designed to put him to sleep or at least make him drowsy.

Quiet was behind him as he headed back to his room and his mind was bouncing around to different ways he could get out for awhile. He was tempted to go for a walk through the gardens before heading out, something like that just sounded really relaxing and he always liked the smell, but he didn't want to be late for anything.

He got into his room and knew better than to try closing his door, Quiet would either come in or, if Gintoki locked it, break it down. There used to be a lot of leniency for him, but he'd burned that tolerance up long ago. He untied his yukata for something a little more comfortable that he could move easily in and not worry about getting dirty. He had just the outfit, a black yukata with bright red trim that was finely cut and fit him snug. It wasn't loose and didn't have sleeves or sides that draped too far down. It was airy and allowed him to move unobstructed, plus, he looked really nice in it. Last time he'd worn it someone had called him dashing and while he didn't believe it, the yukata gave him some confidence all the same.

Quiet barely made a sound where he waited and Gintoki was glad he didn't have to offer any conversation. He mostly didn't with his guards, but it also felt rude to completely ignore them. Even after the years he'd been Otose's heir, he still wasn't used to such a life of actually being looked after. He didn't know what that meant – honestly, he really didn't – and he didn't know what it felt like to be wholly safe. He knew comfortable, he knew content, but safe, no, not really.

Now, he had to go, he had things that needed done and later, rectified.

-o-O-o-

Hijikata's whole body was aching, but after being checked out by the doctor more than once, he was fine. Well, not _fine_ , but he'd heal in a few days time and the wounds he had would only be scars to remember what had happened. His head was banged up pretty good, but it was only a few semi-deep cuts just above his hairline from some shrapnel and nothing more. He'd had to go through several tests just to make sure he didn't have a concussion or something, he'd passed everything each time he was made to do them. He knew he'd have to do more in the near future and would continue to do them for the following couple weeks, but that was just protocol.

He wished they'd put more time into his brother. Tamegoro wasn't severely injured, but he wouldn't take a breather at all or slow down from yelling out orders. Everything was in disarray and Hijikata knew things were bad when he was one of the quietest people. They'd moved from the room the bomb had gone off in and had taken residence in one of the large main rooms where it seemed like everyone on the estate was filtering in and out. Accounts were being taken for the whereabouts of each person during the time of the explosion, those details needed to be verified by at least two other people and recorded into a ledger. Each inconsistency was marked and looked into – this whole process was going to take _days_.

Hijikata himself felt totally useless because his brother was handling it all, Hijikata didn't want to get in the way or intervene with a stupid question. He'd fucked up enough, he didn't need to add pest to that inconceivably long list of his wrong doings. He was just doing his best to behave and stay out of everyone's way, that was what he hoped his brother wanted of him. It wasn't easy, there were a lot of people he wanted to snap at, but he kept his mouth firmly shut and concentrated on his headache to give him something to do.

It was because of that that he was in no way ready for when the set of double doors burst open and Gintoki, of all the fucking people, came strutting in, his boots making solid thuds against the wooden floorboards. His hair was pushed back and he had two swords slipped into his belt, but there was a look on his face that couldn't be placed. Hijikata bristled seeing him and he looked to his brother in the hopes that he'd be offended by the unannounced intrusion. He honestly didn't know why he was hoping that, it was just his first thought.

“Sakata-san,” Tamegoro said with poorly conceal surprise, “what... brings you here?”

“I think you know,” Gintoki replied and there was steel in his voice.

“We're all alright, I'd made sure to send word of that.”

“I needed to see for myself.” Gintoki's eyes roved over everyone in the room – Hijikata was both first and last. Gintoki's jaw twitched, the muscles jumping briefly, as he looked back to Tamegoro. “Do you know who did this?”

“We believe so, yes.”

“Who?”

“One of the Unmentionables.”

Unmentionables were a delinquent group that belonged to no clan, but could be bought to do a job for the right price. There were three loosely related groups in all, each ranked from most professional to least – or most expensive to least depending on who wanted to know. The most professional consisted of mainly assassins and they either did their job or died trying. That group was the Untouchables, Hijikata hadn't ever seen that group in action, he'd only heard stories. Next came the Undesirables, which, honestly, were the most difficult to deal with because their trade was all over the board. They went from assassinations to more menial jobs, but their men weren't as skilled as the Untouchables and rarely did they finish a job if their life was on the line. Last, as in, the least professional, were the Unmentionables and it was almost an insult for one of their members to be sent on an assassination attempt at a Yakuza house.

At least, Hijikata felt entirely offended. All the organizations were difficult to deal with and were deadly, but for something like this to happen to Hijikata's clan by the least professional of the organizations, it was like his clan wasn't being taken seriously. Like it was some kind of prank or jest or whatever the fuck. Hijikata's stomach sank at the prospect that whoever had hired the Unmentionables hadn't thought his clan worthy of anything more expensive or elaborate – that the bare minimum was enough.

“Do you know who hired them?”

Tamegoro's back and shoulders had long since gone stiff. “Not yet.”

“Let me go.”

“Excuse me?”

“Give me whatever information you have right now and let me go after them.”

Tamegoro asked carefully, “Does Ayano-san know you're here?”

“Not yet. I've sent word to her so she'll know soon, but as of right now I'm acting on my own accord.”

“Then you know I can't agree.”

“I ask you to reconsider. Release me, let me bring justice to you. I'm not a child, I don't need permission where it involves Hijikata, he's _mine_ to protect, not Ba-san's.”

“As if I need your damn p-protecting,” Hijikata snapped indignantly out of reflex and felt heat rush through his body.

“Silence, Tosshi,” Tamegoro said – the reprimand stung – and turned a hard look back on Gintoki. “I won't risk your life, especially when Ayano-san is unaware. You're here uninvited and I only just sent that message a short while ago, how did you get here so fast?”

“I was already out when the message was sent, when your retainer recognized me he told me what he had to say and I sent him on his way with a message of my own to let Ba-san know I'm here and handing it. I realize that as of right now I'm uninvited, but I consider you an extension of my clan despite the events that transpired before.”

“You two aren't married yet, there is no legal binding between us,” Tamegoro pointed out, but he was waning.

Gintoki didn't so much as budge. “But there's intention. I intend to give you an act of goodwill to show you that I take this very seriously and my previous ill-mannered actions will not be happening again. This is forward of me, I know, and it was rude of me to barge in, but I need you to understand the fervency of my apology. Should you refuse, I leave it in your hands to decide my comeuppance, but I hope you'll at least give me the chance to prove myself and my intentions to you.”

The room went quiet after his words and Tamegoro was _almost_ showing how stunned he was, Hijikata could tell. Gintoki had impressed him, though he wouldn't ever say as much.

“Tosshi,” Hijikata blinked at his brother, “this one is up to you.”

“M-me?”

“Make your choice.”

Hijikata's blood went cold and the adrenaline rush that went right to his brain made his headache even worse. However, that also provided to him some clarity, so he wasn't as stopped up as he usually was.

“I-if he wants to, I mean,” he did his best to square his shoulders and seem more in command, “I accept the s-sentiment and agree that the engagement should c-commence upon his return with the apprehended.”

Hijikata hated how unsure he sounded, how small, but Tamegoro nodded – Hijikata was sure he imagined the look of faint approval on his face – and officially addressed Gintoki to give him permission. Apparently, Gintoki wasn't going to waste any time or wait for his guards – why didn't he have any guards with him? – to show up before he left. He dismissed himself and bowed first to Tamegoro, then to Hijikata.

Gintoki's smile as he headed out was feral and promised danger.

**To Be Continued**


	8. Nuture Fear and it Becomes a Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata anxiously waits for Gintoki to return and isn't very prepared for when it actually happens. Though, he's not prepared for anything Gintoki does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGA, THIS IS FOR YOU, SWEETHEART! SORRY FOR THE DELAY, I HAD IT READY YESTERDAY, BUT COULDN'T FIND A GOOD CONNECTION AFTER I POSTED RULE OF THREE JSDOFIAJSDF ENJOY!!

Waiting was the actual worst thing.

It was the middle of the night and they'd been waiting for _hours_. Hijikata had tried to take a nap, but two things stopped him – first, his general anxiety over the situation, and second, his brother wasn't taking time to sleep, so Hijikata didn't feel right right doing it, either. That was why he was rubbing sleep from his eyes and suppressing a yawn while he watched the cluster of guards that had come from Gintoki's clan. They'd arrived hours ago and they hadn't done a single thing except help secure the premise, granted, there wasn't a lot for them to actually do since Tamegoro's own men were taking care of most things.

Tamegoro was busy doing his bossy duty and Hijikata wasn't needed for anything, so he just watched and listened. They'd moved out of the damaged room a long time ago and Tamegoro already had people in there working to repair it. The guards from Gintoki's clan took direction from Tamegoro, all but one that was Gintoki's personal guard and apparently would only take orders from him or Terada Ayano directly. That was pretty typical, so it wasn't an offense, and while Hijikata wasn't a fan of having any of them around, they weren't exactly unwelcome given the circumstances. The guard that was specifically for Gintoki was hovering a little too close to Hijikata and had been the whole time, but so far Hijikata had chosen not to say anything since he remained a respectful distance away.

Underneath his sleepiness, Hijikata was an irritated, angry mess. _He_ was supposed to have been the one to work with his brother to fix things between himself and Gintoki. But no, of course not, naturally Gintoki had to swoop in out of fucking nowhere after a disaster to be the one to fix everything in one go. Throwing out an apology like that, the nerve of that asshole! How could Hijikata have said no to that? It'd only make things worse and get him in deeper shit with his brother, so his only choice was to go along with Gintoki's whole... _thing_. It gave him a headache just thinking about it and he was honestly pretty pissed that once again a chunk had been taken out of his pride.

“Tosshi?” Tamegoro was walking toward him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

“You look like you're going to be sick.”

“No, I'm oka –”

“Medic!” Tamegoro called out and immediately their house doctor appeared. “See to my brother, he looks unwell.”

“I'm fine!” Hijikata snapped.

“Sit still, you're getting looked at anyway.”

“I was _just_ looked at!”

“Enough, be still.”

Hijikata grudgingly went quiet and wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs. He was angry more than he was anything else, but his brother didn't even notice – he never noticed. Hijikata wasn't even sure how many times he'd gotten looked at over the course of the evening, but he'd been checked out what had to have been but an hour ago. They were keeping a close eye on him since he'd hit his head, but it had been hours and hours and there were still no side effects, couldn't they say he was fine and leave him alone by now?

Apparently not since Hijikata was once more getting a full exam from top to bottom. He got his everything looked at, well, everything that didn't require him to take off his clothes. He remained despondent the whole time and once he was done and cleared, Tamegoro merely nodded and left. Hijikata didn't know what to say to him or what could bring him back. They used to be so much closer than this and now it was like Tamegoro had become a stranger to him. It hurt him to think about it, but the truth was glaring right at him. It wasn't even the marrying Hijikata off thing, this frigidness had begun before then and since it started, it had only grown.

The gap was so big that Hijikata didn't even know how to begin to make amends and shorten the distance.

Hijikata sighed and closed his eyes to rub them again. Everything around him was just one big fuck up after another and he, as usual, could do nothing except sit there and take up space. When he opened his eyes again, he scratched at the back of his neck, and glanced over to find the guard no where he'd been before.

“You're gettin' a little close,” he said roughly.

The guard took a step away. “My apologies.”

“No,” Hijikata rubbed a hand over his face, “ah, sorry. Tonight has been... not so good.”

“I understand.”

Hijikata bit his lip briefly before saying, “You seem very relaxed.”

“I currently have no need to worry.”

“But isn't the guy you're supposed to be guarding missing in action?”

“In a sense.”

“Is he always so... I don't know what word I'm lookin' for.”

“Reckless?”

“I guess... yeah, that's one word for it.”

“That and more, yes.”

“Mm, he didn't have any guards with him when he arrived.”

The guard shifted his weight. “He's a difficult person to keep track of.”

“That makes sense, actually.” Hijikata leaned back and relaxed a little. “There a reason why you've stayed near me the whole night? Everyone else has been moving around and I get you're waiting on your boss, but there's no reason for you to stay by me, I'm terrible company.”

“Were the young master here, this is where I believe he'd want me to be.”

Hijikata flushed and looked away, his teeth gritting. “You sure about that?”

“Yes.”

“But he doesn't like me! We don't get along and so far have done nothing but fight!”

“Forgive me if this is brash, but you don't know him.” Hijikata blinked and looked at the guard without turning his head. He must have seen that as a prompt to continue because he went on in the same level, unassuming tone, “Having been with him as long as I have, I can tell you that there isn't anyone I can recall that he dislikes without just cause.”

“You...” Hijikata felt his face turn an ugly shade of red, “you realize I stabbed him, right? Not like I was eating and my hand slipped, I literally jumped over a table and fucked up his shoulder.”

“I'm aware.”

“And you don't think that's reason enough for him to dislike me? C'mon now, get serious.”

“If he truly disliked you, he would not be here. That's all I can say.”

“T'ch, right,” Hijikata muttered with enough bitterness to turn sweet berries sour.

There was no way Gintoki liked him in any fashion, not only had Hijikata cut him, but he'd been a right bastard from the start. Hijikata hadn't given Gintoki any room to like him and he didn't want Gintoki to like him, so that made his behavior even easier to fall into. He stopped himself from sighing again and rested his arms on his bent legs to lean his head down. He idly watched everyone scurry around and for a moment he imagined the place as a beehive, then chuckled when he pictured his brother as the queen.

A commotion brought Hijikata back into the room and he tuned in just in time for the door to be kicked open. Gintoki strode in with a bound body slung over one of his shoulders, blood smeared on his clothes. In some places the blood was thick enough to drip off him, leaving a trail of droplets in his wake as he walked. His expression was... difficult to read, it was so serious and focused, so unlike the teasing creature Hijikata had experienced. Gintoki's eyes didn't stray from Tamegoro except to flick over to Hijikata for the briefest of seconds, then he was dumping the body right at Tamegoro's feet.

“Come,” the guard, now beside Hijikata, whispered and ushered him forward with a hand on his arm.

“This is the one responsible?” Tamegoro asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

“The only one left alive,” Gintoki responded.

The guard stopped and motioned for Hijikata to keep going, but he'd gotten the gist of it by then. He needed to be by his brother's side, that was his place in situations like this and it was time he started getting used to it. He stepped up onto Tamegoro's right and looked down at the limp body of a very small, slender, and completely unconscious man. There was no mistaking his attire of the symbol of the Unmentionables on his sleeve.

“How many were there?”

“Nine in total.”

Hijikata knew enough about these organizations to be aware that if negotiations couldn't be reached, it was fight or die. They probably thought they had an advantage against Gintoki since he was so outnumbered... Hijikata wished he could have seen the fight himself.

“They gave me no information,” Gintoki went on. “Not even this one when he was the only one left with the blade of my sword against his throat. Hopefully your interrogators will have better luck than I.”

Tamegoro summoned some guards with a wave of his hand. “Take him away and lock him up in the cellar.”

The command was carried out instantly and other than that movement, the only thing that could be heard was the blood dripping off Gintoki.

“I hope I've proven myself to you,” Gintoki said lowly and Hijikata startled when he realized Gintoki was looking at _him_.

All eyes were on him and he _hated_ that, so he nodded quickly. “It'll do.”

Gintoki's lips twitched into what could have been a smirk and Tamegoro made an almost inaudible scoffing noise. Hijikata flushed and noise around the room picked up for those assigned to something to continue to do their tasks. The guard to the side cleared his throat and Gintoki looked over only to falter slightly by shifting his weight.

“Oh... hey, Scab! I was wondering if one of my own would be here or not.”

“The boss sent me specifically.”

“Just you?”

“Three others remain looking for you.”

“Ah... whoops....”

“Are you injured?”

Gintoki blinked and looked down at the stains on his clothing.

“Not here,” Gintoki said, touching his stomach as if to make sure the blood there truly wasn't his. “Not here.” He ran a hand over his bloodied thigh. “My back is okay. But,” his fingers hovered over his shoulder, “this is all me. I think I tore some stitches... or all of them, I'm not sure.”

“Tama-san is going to –”

“I know,” Gintoki interrupted. “Believe me, I know what she'll be like, you can give that a rest for now.”

“I'll have our doctor attend to you at once,” Tamegoro said.

“There's really not nec... he's already gone, okay, never mind.”

“You need to get looked at,” said the guard named Scab – of all things.

“I hear a lot about what I _need_ to do.”

“Then I shouldn't have to tell you that you _need_ to begin preparing yourself for what the boss has in store for you.”

Gintoki sighed. “That bad, huh?”

“Worse since none of your guards were with you.”

“That was unintentional! There was no way I could have known I'd end up here!”

“I'd save your arguments for when you see the boss.”

Gintoki got interrupted by the doctor, but was a little too uncooperative and had to have a couple more guards from his clan come over to help keep him from fidgeting after he was taken over to sit down. Hijikata didn't even think he wriggled so much because he was uncomfortable, he was just being a whiny thing. It was sort of... amusing.

“Do you want something to drink?” Tamegoro asked, he'd been hovering the whole time. “Food, perhaps?”

“Sake would be great, since you're offering.”

Tamegoro swiftly took care of it and Hijikata felt his cheeks burn because he knew he should have offered that first. He made sure to stay near Gintoki, but he didn't know how close was too close and so he ended up listlessly in the vicinity.

“You've ruined several of your stitches. Excellent work on them, they were very clean before... tonight.”

“Pour some alcohol on it and patch it up.”

“I can't do that!”

“You can. I've done it before, it works.”

“But it's in such poor condition!”

“Probably because I used it as a battering ram a majority of the time.”

“It's already starting to change colors!”

“That's what bruising does, yeah. Slap some bandages on it and call it a day, c'mon.”

“Master,” Scab warned and Gintoki's mostly blank expression was broken by a short lived glare of irritation.

“Okay, compromise,” Gintoki stared the doctor down and didn't even look up when a servant brought him a glass of sake. “I'll let you patch me up the way you want to if you let me talk to your boss for a bit.”

Hijikata jumped in place as Gintoki suddenly looked at him and, not so surprisingly, the doctor quickly agreed. He gave Gintoki a towel to hold to his shoulder to soak up the blood that had mostly come to a stop on its own and he scurried away. Gintoki motioned Hijikata closer and told his guards to make some space. All the guards that had been sent over were around him and weren't moving far, they barely even moved when Gintoki told them to.

“A little farther,” Gintoki instructed as Hijikata sat down beside him. “At least two more steps. Oi! You call that a step, big guy? Yes, you! A _real_ step, please, I'm not going anywhere.”

When they finally obliged in a way that Gintoki was satisfied, he looked over at Hijikata and... there was nothing but silence. It was awkward as hell and Hijikata expected Gintoki to speak, but he said nothing. Once, he opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but then faded out and quickly gulped down the whole of his sake. It was really starting to become mortifyingly pathetic and Tamegoro was off on the other side of the room ordering new sheets for some of those injured in the explosion. Things were still such a mess around the estate, but it felt like the biggest mess was the explosion that had happened between himself and Gintoki.

“I thought of a lot of things to say on my way back here,” Gintoki said, the empty cup clutched in his hand. “But now that I'm here, I can't really pick a place to start.” He sighed and studied that stupid cup. “Do you have anything you want to say?”

He had a lot to say, actually, but there was no way he trusted himself to get any of it out, he'd only fuck more shit up with bad wording or something.

“I don't know how to make things right,” Hijikata admitted softly and that admission cost him greatly.

“About that, listen,” Gintoki said quickly, “I know neither of us are really... thrilled about this arrangement, but there's nothing I won't do for Ba-san or my clan. She wants me to marry you, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do. But that's not... I mean, I'm not just doing it to do it. I'm a bit of a loose canon and I know I'll annoy you plenty, but I'll be committed to you. I'll protect you with everything I've got, I'll be faithful to you, and I'll be good to you.” Gintoki grimaced. “As good as I can be, anyway, I'm kind of an asshole.” He grimaced again. “Not that you don't already know that. Ah, I'll get pissed off sometimes and other times I'll disappear, but that's just how I am, I guess? It'll be rough from time to time, but I'm sure we can make something work.” He paused and tilted his head in thought. “Especially since we sorta, you know, _have_ to.”

Hijikata was left gaping. “I – I –”

“Let's start over,” Gintoki offered, pinning Hijikata with an unreadable look.

“Haah? A-all the way over?”

Gintoki nodded. “From the beginning, clean slate. Let's do that whole dinner again without the dramatic cutting me thing and let's forget the disaster that happened after that ever happened.”

“That –” Hijikata cut himself off to huff and collect himself. “That seems too easy.”

“Don't care,” Gintoki chirped with a shrug that made him glare briefly at his shoulder. “What do you say?”

Already flushed up to his ears from Gintoki's _ridiculous_ speech, Hijikata nodded jerkily, his hands wringing in his lap.

“Okay.”

**To Be Continued**


	9. Stabbing and Hair Pulling Do Not Equate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gintoki is in way over his head. Him? Charming? Good luck with that.

“I did it!” Gintoki yelled as he walked into his own house. “ _Me_! Ha! Victory!”

He shouldn't have shoved both his fists in the air because it really hurt his shoulder as well as other parts of himself, but fuck if he cared. He'd done it! It hadn't been easy and he was walking a thin line, but he'd set things right again for the most part. He was getting his second chance and he'd even had the forethought to send someone back to deliver the good news to Otose so that she'd be informed by the time he returned. That was something he tended to forget to do and Otose was _never_ happy when he showed up and dropped something big on her without any warning. 

Gintoki was sore, but his wounds had been taken care of prior to leaving the other estate and he was so jacked up on adrenaline that he didn't feel much. His grin was threatening to split his face in two and just thinking about the  _look_ on Hijikata's face after he'd given his little speech – absolutely fucking priceless. He'd meant what he'd said, of course, but he'd had no idea it'd have that kind of influence. It was all the more reason to celebrate, except... he looked over at Scab.

“Oi.” Scab, who hadn't left his side once, inclined his head.  “Do you know of a way to make myself more likable?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Obviously something about me really sets him off and I'd like to... not do that.”

“How very mature of you.”

“It's not maturity, it's just me not wanting to mess up in the same way again.”

Scab rolled his eyes. “Same thing.”

“It's not! I think I need to consult my fellow ruffians.”

“Now _that_ is a terrible idea.”

“They're good when it comes to advice!”

Scab just stared at him and Gintoki shrugged sheepishly.

“You're back.”

They both turned to Otose and Gintoki whispered, “We'll pick that up later.”

“You've been busy,” Otose commented and moved a hand in such a way that dismissed Scab.

“One of us had to be and I haven't seen you do much of anything in years.” She walked up to him and looked him over, then grabbed his chin to turn his head from side to side. “I'm all in one piece.”

“So it would seem,” she replied and gently smacked his cheek in a light reprimand. “That's for leaving your guards behind.”

“They would've slowed me down.”

“You don't know that.”

“Going off of past performances, then yes, I can.”

Otose glared at him. “Come and sit. We need to talk.”

“Nothing good ever happens when you say that.”

She responded with a long-suffering look and Gintoki followed her into a sitting room where hot tea was already set on the table. It was still steaming, so she was obviously expecting him and had ordered some fresh. It was just too bad that Gintoki craved sake more than tea and didn't care for that herbal nonsense too much. They sat down across from each other and Gintoki plopped right down on his ass, he'd never been one for that formal kneeling thing.

“Your clothes aren't going to stain anything, are they?”

Gintoki looked down at the dark splotches on his attire. “No, it's dried.”

“Everything has been bandaged, I'm assuming?”

“Yeah, they wouldn't let me leave until I'd been taken care of. They even offered some fresh clothes, but I turned that down. I still don't like wearing other people's clothes, it's weird.”

“It would've helped with the smell.”

“Do I smell?” Gintoki lifted an arm and sniffed himself. “Maybe I'm a little ripe, but I don't reek.”

“You've smelled worse, I'll grant you.” She motioned and Gintoki quickly poured them both some tea. “Tell me everything. Start from the beginning.”

Gintoki sipped his tea just to wet his mouth and griped, “But I sent someone to do that for me!”

“I want to hear it from your own mouth.”

Hissing under his breath, Gintoki took up the tale of his adventure and as he'd been told, he left nothing out. He dressed some things up to make himself seem cooler, but the look on Otose's face told him that she wasn't buying those parts. The core of the information was all that mattered and that remained unchanged, but he still liked adding a few spins on different things just to piss her off a little. It took him the better part of an hour to tell her everything and by then, the tea had either run out or gone cold – Gintoki's cup, specifically, was what had gone cold.

“That's quite... something,” Otose finally said.

“Yes! And we've gotta do things right this time! That means no mishaps like last time!”

Otose sighed. “Who's going to pay for this second dinner?”

“We are, but it's going to be a lot smaller than the first go, only the important people will be there to keep it cost effective.”

“Anything else you'd like to share since you've thought about this so much?”

“Yeah! He and I can sit in the gazebo out back if we set it up right, then you and everyone else could take up the courtyard leading out to it.”

“You want to be outside?”

“They were all just in a room that got blown up, they'll appreciate the open space, I think.”

“That's... actually not bad thinking. Are there any other reasons?”

“Not really. But if he comes at me again, I'll have no trouble getting out of the way. The only reason I got caught that first time is 'cause I really didn't expect him to do that. Yes, before you say anything, I know it was my own fault for being careless.”

“I'm still skeptical, I don't trust him.”

“You don't need to trust him and I kind of don't care about trust at this point. What we're setting up is so much more important than some minor trust issue between us and my future spouse.” Otose smoothed her clothing down with careful fingers and Gintoki's brows furrowed. “What's the matter? Isn't this what you want?”

“It is,” she replied after a pause, “but I'm worried we're going about it the wrong way.”

“Is there a _right_ way to do it?”

“Not necessarily, but your happiness should be of a higher priority.”

Gintoki immediately recoiled and actually thought about what to say before speaking. He hadn't thought they'd be having a conversation like this one. They'd come close to it before, but she'd never actually addressed the issue in so many words. It was probably strange and more than a little backwards that he was the one convincing her it was okay when she wasn't the one that had to get married.

“I'll be fine. Arranged marriages aren't about happiness, you know that. When it's all said and done, he could turn out to be not so bad.”

“And if he turns out to be like his father?”

“Then he turns out to be like his father,” Gintoki answered simply. “I can handle that. It's all a means to an end, right?”

“I guess....”

A knock on the door had them both looking over to find one of Otose's personal guards standing there.

“Yes?” Otose asked.

“The young master has a visitor.”

“I do? Who is it?” Gintoki ran a hand through his hair. “It's not one of the bears, right?”

“Not hardly.”

Gintoki grinned as Katsura peeked his head into view, saying, “But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to look good for me.”

“Just the guy I wanted to see!” Gintoki stood, then as an afterthought, he looked to Otose. “May I be excused?”

“Go. Take a shower, too.”

“Got it!”

He ran out of the room and grabbed Katsura's arm to drag him along.

“You look... roughed up,” Katsura said as Gintoki led the way through the halls to his room.

“Yeah, I know, the past couple days haven't been so hot.”

“Apparently.”

“Anyway, I _am_ glad you're here,” Gintoki said and pulled Katsura right into his chambers. “I need some advice.”

“On what?”

“Well, Hijikata and his closest are coming back in a week or so and –”

“Why would they be coming _back_?”

“Because the unity thing is still on.”

“Seriously? But he stabbed you!”

“And I pulled his hair, we're even. Now! If I –”

“No, that's not even at all! That's not what even means! Hey, I stabbed you, but it's okay because you pulled my hair. Are you insane?”

“Probably a little bit,” Gintoki digressed and went about throwing off his clothes in favor of a fresh yukata while Katsura closed the door for them. “Will you listen now?”

“I'll listen when you start making sense!”

“Then I'm gonna skip all useless information and go right to telling you that the arranged marriage is still on. They're coming back next week and I need your help preparing. I want things to go right this time and I don't think I can do that on my own, not with how things have been going between us.”

“You,” Katsura stared at him and frowned, “want him to like you?”

Gintoki flinched, of course Katsura would pick up on it right away. He finished putting on his yukata and thought while he tied it off.

“Not  _like_ , exactly... I just want him to be able to look at me and not totally dread spending time with me. That'll make everything easier and I think he'll be more accepting of the whole situation if he liked me okay.”

Katsura sat down on Gintoki's fluffy seat made mostly of pillows near the door leading out to the porch and brought his legs up toward himself. “Do you know how you're going to go about explaining all  _that_ to him?”

“Fuck, no! That's way down the line.” Gintoki jumped onto the seat and mirrored Katsura's position. “If I told him now, he'd probably get all overwhelmed and strike at me for lack of something more constructive to do.”

“Isn't it kind of mean to keep him in the dark? It might feel like a slap in the face to him later on. One of those, the longer you keep it to yourself, the worse things will get sort of things.”

“Maybe... but this is what I feel is the best option for right now. If things go okay as we progress or whatever, then I'll clue him in before the actual unity thing in case he really wants no part in it.”

Katsura rubbed his temples. “So, you're going to go through all this trouble, but then still give him the opportunity to back out if he wants to?”

“Yup, it's only fair.” Katsura groaned and Gintoki hurriedly added, “But again! The idea is to get him to like me enough that when it comes time to tell him, he won't go running in the opposite direction as fast as he can.”

“And if he doesn't like you enough? Then he'll have knowledge he shouldn't have and he could do a lot of damage with it. Not just to you, but to this whole clan and more.”

Gintoki threw a pillow at Katsura's head. “I know that! The old hag and I have already talked about it at length and this is the way it's going to have to be. It's also why him liking me is so important.”

“I doubt he ever thought his clan would be so lucrative,” Katsura murmured and hugged the pillow to his chest.

“He doesn't even know  _how_ important just yet.”

“I hope I'm there the day he does find out.”

“If he doesn't figure it out for himself, then I'll tell him one on one. Less targets for him to aim at that way.”

“That's considerate, but unnecessary. I can take care of myself and unlike you, I have no problem breaking him in half if he tries to stab me.”

“Will you let that go already?” Gintoki pulled down his yukata to show off the bandage on his shoulder. “The wound isn't that big and it's healing just fine!”

“If someone stabbed me, would you let it go?”

“Well –”

“No, you wouldn't. Because that has already happened and if you don't recall, letting it go was the last thing on your mind.”

“That was different!”

“Only in the sense that I was armed.”

Gintoki scowled. “Not true! You weren't set up to marry that asshole, the situations are completely different and can't be compared! And... I handled it better than Takasugi did. So, there's that.”

“You were both equally insufferable.”

“That's debatable and you're getting us off topic. Will you help me or not?”

Katsura sighed and lightly kicked Gintoki's thigh. “I'll help, of course. By the time I'm through with you, there might actually be  _something_ charming about you.”

Gintoki kicked him back and he... wasn't so sure he agreed, but he was willing to try.

**To Be Continued**

 


	10. It Takes Work to Make Things Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many Joui does it take to make Gintoki charming? Read to find out.

Gintoki sat on his throne of pillows and dodged one that got deflected and was coming for his head. It caused him to slump into the body next to him and that body valiantly defended him from another pillow so it wouldn't slam into his chest where it was en route to.

“How did it end up like this?” Gintoki asked.

Katsura patted his hair. “More like, how did it not get like this sooner?”

Sakamoto and Takasugi finished their fight over who was going to sit where and only then did Gintoki sit up again. He certainly hadn't invited the two of them over, but then, he never needed to. He didn't mind it, either, he liked when his friends came over whenever it suited them and plopped down into his life or wormed into his day. He enjoyed that kind of closeness and familiarity and if he had a choice, he wouldn't have it any other way with them.

“Now that you're done,” Gintoki voiced monotonously, “I'd like to let you all know that your advice hasn't been too great so far.”

“Where were we?” Takasugi asked from where he was perched so he was taller than everyone else.

“Trying to come up with ideas on how to get him to like me more.”

“Oh, no wonder we weren't coming up with anything.”

Gintoki bit his lip. “Should I do something with a flower? People like flowers, right?”

Sakamoto lifted a hand. “I like flowers.”

“Would _he_?”

Takasugi shook his head. “He likes knives, not flowers.”

“From this point forward, no one is allowed to mention anything in relation to him that involves knives or stabbing.”

“What about stabbing him?”

“You're not being helpful!”

“I'm not trying to be helpful! I don't like him!”

“You haven't met him!” Gintoki yelled and threw a pillow at Takasugi's face.

Takasugi picked a pillow up to defend himself. “He comes from  _that_ clan, he can fuck off!”

“That's so dramatic!”

“Flying across the table to stab you was dramatic!”

“What did I just say about the stabbing thing?”

“I can say whatever I want!”

By then, Takasugi had all but fallen on top of Gintoki and was pummeling him with the pillow repeatedly. They grappled with each other and Gintoki got his fingers up Takasugi's nose, but it was at the cost of getting a knee to his stomach.

“Don't know how I ended up as one of the mature ones, but I'm happy to be here,” Sakamoto said.

Katsura pinched the bridge of his nose. “Children,  _please_ .”

“He started it,” Gintoki grunted as he shoved Takasugi off himself and got kicked for it.

“This isn't very charming,” Katsura said.

Gintoki flopped onto his stomach. “I'm about as charming as a rock, this is probably as good as it's gonna get.”

“Maybe you  _should_ take him flowers.”

“Yeah, about that, now that I've had time to reflect on it, that's a terrible idea. He doesn't want flowers, he wants me to be... not me. He doesn't want some guy he doesn't know and I don't think he even wants to get married to anyone, not that I blame him.”

Takasugi rested his legs on Gintoki's back. “This is bullshit. You shouldn't have to worry about _changing_ , he should be ecstatic to be your bride.”

“Ha! I hate to imagine how many brain cells he'd lose if he heard you say that.”

“I'm serious, though.”

“Oh, so you wanna volunteer to be my bride instead?”

“I'll make you eat those words.”

“I'll kick your ass anytime,  _friend_ .”

“Enough,” Katsura chided, “you two bicker like childish siblings.”

Gintoki snorted. “And you worry like a mother hen.”

“So am I the providing father or...?” Sakamoto stifled a laugh behind a hand. “If that's the case, then we have seriously messed up family dynamics.”

Takasugi glared at him. “No, you're the weird uncle that always shows up uninvited.”

Sakamoto laughed and Gintoki buried his face in the pillow he was hugging to himself. This was hopeless, the whole thing was. He wasn't charming, they all knew it, and he wasn't good at really appealing to people. He was gruff, ridiculous,  _adopted_ , and he had quite the reputation. He wasn't easy to get along with on any given day and he was frequently told how difficult he was. Not even his guards could keep track of him very well and he had the best of the best assigned to him for exactly that reason.

“Why do you have to be the one to change, anyway?” Takasugi asked and tapped Gintoki's back with his heel.

“Because one of us has to and by law, it's pretty much my responsibility.”

Sakamoto scratched his chin. “What are the laws exactly? I'm unfamiliar.”

Gintoki lifted his head and turned it to the side to speak better. “It's like this. We went to them with the offer, right? So that makes us the host family and it basically means that it's up to us to meet any needs or requirements they have. Additionally, we have to be prepared to accommodate them in any given situation.”

“You have to have a place for him here, too,” Katsura added.

“Yeah, since he'll technically be a part of our clan, not theirs, when it's over.”

Takasugi tapped his heel again. “What about dowry.”

“Dowry is weird to me,” Gintoki replied. “Ours has to be really substantial since we're essentially buying someone from them.”

“Not just someone,” Katsura put in, “but an actual heir, the only available one they have, so they need to feel compensated for what they're giving up.”

Takasugi clicked his tongue. “They should be grateful enough with just an alliance with you, you shouldn't have to give them anything else.”

“That goes against custom and tradition, it'd make us look bad,” Gintoki answered.

“What other rules?” Sakamoto prompted. “Aren't there a lot to courting and arranged marriage relations?”

“So many! I freaked out more over all those scrolls than I did when the old hag made the arrangements! There's even a whole schedule of things we have to do before actually getting hitched and the shitty part is that they can back out at any time.”

“No, they can't,” Takasugi disagreed and his face scrunched. “Can they?”

“They can,” Katsura replied with a nod. “The host family can back out as well, but only under certain conditions. Like the intended doing something as disrespectful as stabbing the host at the first meeting.”

“ _Anyway_ ,” Gintoki went on with a harsh look in Katsura's direction, “if they back out, then they won't get access to our dowry.”

“Ah, so they see the dowry early, but then don't get it until the end,” Takasugi verified.

“Right.”

Sakamoto leaned forward. “What's the ceremony going to look like?”

“Which one? There's, like, five or something.”

“The final one.”

“Oh. I'm not sure, it's so far down the line I haven't thought about it.”

“Don't you have to sleep together?”

“Technically, yes, which I'm not excited about or looking forward to.”

Takasugi jolted. “You have to  _sleep_ with him?”

Gintoki raised a brow. “Yes? Duh?”

“Stupid,” Katsura chastised, “that's not what he's asking.”

Gintoki thought a moment, then recoiled. “ _Oh_! No! We're required to share a living space like a bed, not consummate our marriage by humping each other!”

“How eloquently put,” Katsura mused drily.

Sakamoto was laughing, but when he calmed, he asked, “Is that a permanent requirement?”

“Yes and no. Yes, we'll always share a living space, but no, that living space isn't so specific later on. It's something like the first few weeks or a month that we have to share the same bed. After that, I could move into an adjoining room and it wouldn't violate any rules. Just so long as I'm nearby, that'll be allowed.”

Katsura nodded. “Plenty of people have setups like that. Sometimes the man is a really loud snorer, so the wife will make him sleep in a different room so she can rest. Or maybe one of them is really restless and night and prefers to be in a room on their own so they don't have to worry about waking their partner up. It'd be the same in this case and so the same rules would apply.”

“Except I'll be escaping a guy that wants nothing to do with me and who will probably resent me for the rest of our lives. Do you think I'd be more fetching if I had a nice set of tits?”

“No,” Katsura said immediately.

“That'd give me nightmares,” Takasugi hissed.

Sakamoto tilted his head. “I don't know... you could try wearing a nice pink kimono the next time you meet with him and see how he reacts to that.”

“Yet another terrible idea for the evening.”

Gintoki was starting to get a headache and it wasn't because of his friends, he just really do well in situations like this. He didn't have to work to please Katsura, Sakamoto, or Takasugi, he knew them so well that doing something for or with any of them came naturally to him. He was comfortable with them and he valued that comfortability, it was often what got him through some really rough patches. He sometimes worried that he relied on them too much, but considering it was a reliance reciprocated four ways, it wasn't something he worried about often.

“You're really starting to mope,” Katsura commented. “Care to share?”

“Not really, I'm just thinking myself in circles. Do you think it'd help if I made a list of some sort and told him up front the basic things I'll need from him? I don't know if he's under some impression that he'll be a prisoner here, but it might make things easier on him to know precisely what it'll be like.”

“I thought you weren't going to tell him  _that_ stuff just yet.”

“No, I'm not, I said basic. I won't really need him for much and he could be more responsive to me if he feels like he'll still be able to pursue his hobbies and interests, whatever those might be.”

“Ask!” Sakamoto blurted. “No offense, but it's best you don't talk too much about... anything, you'll make an ass out of yourself if you do that. Get him talking about himself!”

“Good idea, but... he really doesn't seem like the type to be very forthcoming. At most, I'll probably get one or two word answers. Or nice short sentences on how he's going to rip my innards out of my asshole and feed them to me if I do anything to harm his brother or his clan.”

“At least he's loyal to something? That's a positive, right?”

“I guess.”

“I've got a question,” Katsura said. “What're you going to do when you have to kiss him?”

Takasugi pretended to vomit as Gintoki shrugged. “I'll just do it, I don't honestly care. Feelings don't matter with stuff like this.”

“So you know you'll be able to go through with it?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“No reason, just wondering.”

Scab knocked on the door and Gintoki waved him in. “What is it?”

“A delivery came for you.”

“Oo, really? Give it here!”

Gintoki sat up and held his hands out with twitchy, greedy fingers. Scab handed him the box and by then, all of his friends were gathered around as Gintoki opened it. He recognized the handwriting on the small card that rested on top of an ornate cloth that looked like it was made of a really fine material, perhaps even silk.

“Move over,” Takasugi demanded as he jostled Sakamoto, “I can't see.”

“Then be taller,” Sakamoto chortled and shoved Takasugi back.

Gintoki tucked the card into his yukata so he could read it later and he very carefully unravelled the cloth.

Sakamoto pushed more firmly against Gintoki's shoulder. “Oi, is that –”

“Yes.”

Katsura folded his hands in his lap and hummed. “This is really quite thoughtful.”

Gintoki was itching to read the letter, but he refrained and sat back, inevitably leaning into Takasugi who had taken up a place there. He let out a sigh and relaxed because finally, he had some idea of something he could do. Now, it was just a matter of figuring out the best course of action to take in order to make the best execution of his plan.

“Oi, I have an idea,” Katsura volleyed as he tied his hair back into a ponytail, “I'll pretend to be him and you can practice being a more charming you on me.”

Takasugi and Sakamoto quickly settled side by side and Takasugi jeered, “Yes, let's see this.”

Gintoki groaned, but set the gift off to the side in order to comply.

**To Be Continued**

 


	11. That Awkward Moment When....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gintoki and Hijikata try greeting each other again.

Hijikata felt sick.

Not the kind of sick that made his eyes water and nose clog up, but the kind the gave him indigestion and had him sweating in uncomfortable place. He couldn't keep his heart under control, either, and just about everything made him jump for whatever reason. Mitsuba had stopped by earlier to give him a talking to and he'd nearly jumped out of his skin when he'd seen her. She didn't scare him, but since he knew why she was there and since she so suddenly appeared, his heart had slammed right up into his throat.

He didn't like having sweaty palms and he hated as she'd helped him pick out the best thing to wear and he'd been sweating everywhere. Mitsuba had done his hair by tying it up in a neat ponytail with a tie that had something attached to it, which she weaved into his hair. The entire time, she lectured him on what to do and what not to do and he listened intently, but only absorbed bits and pieces. Now, he was at his brother's mercy and they were about to walk into something that in no way, under any circumstances, was allowed to go badly.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, everything's gonna be fine.”

Tamegoro compulsively straightened out his own clothing. “No mishaps?”

“None,” Hijikata affirmed.

“There better not be.”

“Right, I got it.”

Hijikata smoothed out his own clothing just to give his hands something to do and make it look like he really cared about making a good second official impression. He immediately winced as the thought passed through his head because he _did_ care, he really did, he just didn't know if he could do this. He'd give it his best shot, he'd try to make things work and he'd do what he could to get along with Gintoki. He couldn't promise anyone anything and he didn't have any faith in himself or Gintoki, but he'd _try_.

Whatever that entailed, whatever that meant, he'd try.

He was a lot more nervous this time around, which would help him in the long run since it'd keep his mind focused on his singular objective of doing the best job he could. He wasn't as muddled as that first time, he wasn't one breath away from freaking out, he was level and sure – just also sweaty and anxious. His clan was safe, Gintoki had even done something to try and protect it on his own, and this was what Hijikata could do to ensure his clan's survival.

He could do this.

“Alright, let's go,” Tamegoro said and together, with their own people following them, they entered the Terada house.

They were greeted by an impressive entourage and they were led through the halls until they were in some kind of courtyard. It was extravagantly decorated and the plate settings were upon tables covered with fine cloth, each table having its own centerpiece. Everyone was directed on where to go and when Tamegoro was taken to a high table where the head of house herself sat, Hijikata made to follow. After only two steps, he was stopped by a familiar guard – Scar? Something like that – and Hijikata was led farther out down a path lined with white stones. The amount of foliage grew and as the path curved, flowers began to mix in with the bushes and shrubs.

They came upon an old gazebo and that was where he found Gintoki sitting. The guard stopped a short ways off and silently motioned for Hijikata to keep going, which he did with as much presence as he could muster. He held his head high and made sure not to do something telling, like wiping his sweaty palms on himself or fiddling with his clothes to make sure they were straight and immaculate. He sat down on his placement across from Gintoki and between them was a table modestly decorated with a centerpiece of an arrangement of smooth stones.

“Hello again.”

Hijikata sat straight and proper. “Hello.”

“Is this arrangement okay for you?”

“Are you serious?” Hijikata scoffed and looked around with a scrunched nose. “Anywhere's fine with me.”

“And judging by your face, this is too pompous for you?”

He quickly schooled his features. “No! No, it's... I mean, it's not _bad_.”

“But not good, either.”

“I didn't say that.” Hijikata willed any redness away from his face. “Besides, I should be getting used to this place, shouldn't I? Since I'll be, ah....”

“Living here eventually?”

“Yeah, that.”

Hijikata looked anywhere but at Gintoki and he could see back to where everyone else was sitting. He had a good view of Tamegoro and it was easy to pick out which people belonged to which clan. They weren't segregated, but mixed together, and the atmosphere was relaxed as opposed to strained. Then again, he could just be sitting too far away to really get a good feel for how all the others were getting along. He and Gintoki had guards nearby, but they were overall private and couldn't be overheard so long as they didn't speak above a normal talking level. Of everything, the privacy was what put Hijikata the most at ease and he felt like there was a weight lifted off his shoulders because of it. His eyes passed over everyone and since he had a good view of them, he looked for any telltale signs of _certain_ people he thought might be in attendance.

“You're looking for my friends.”

Hijikata's shoulders pinched and he immediately looked away from the courtyard. “No.”

“They're not here.”

“I don't care.”

Gintoki's lips twitched. “Well, whether you care or not, they aren't here.”

“There's... three of them, right?”

“I have more than three friends.”

“But you only have three that are _the_ three.”

“Is that what they're known as? What're all four of us called?”

“Nothing, I don't know, no one talks about you,” Hijikata said quickly and crossed his arms. “I definitely don't.”

Thankfully, someone wordlessly brought up a plate and set it gently in the center of the table. With a low bow, the young woman left and Gintoki very carefully pushed the serving utensil Hijikata's way, then seemed to think twice about it.

“Would you like some of this? There's also water and sake, which would you prefer?”

“Uh... sure? And sake, I guess.”

Gintoki served him some of the spiced eggplant with some crispy udon noodles, then poured him some sake from a fancy flask, and it made Hijikata so uncomfortable. He was perfectly capable of doing it himself and he didn't like Gintoki doing things like that for him considering they were supposed to be of the same status.

“The food's good here.”

Hijikata picked up his chopsticks, which both felt and looked expensive, and grabbed a piece of eggplant. “That's good.”

“The drinks are also top notch.”

“That's also good.”

“It won't be so bad here!” Gintoki continued earnestly and suddenly pulled out a folded piece of paper from his yukata. He opened it up and pressed it flat against the table, then leaned forward over it. “Look! This is us right here and everyone else is on this square. If you follow this squiggly line through all these dumb flowers the old hag insists on keeping, you'll end up in the back, but that's still all our property.” Gintoki's finger slid to the left and stopped at a cluster of squares and rectangles. “Right here are the training compounds and a couple years ago I talked Ba-san into letting me have a small dojo inside the main house. This blueprint is older, so those rooms aren't drawn in, but I think they're about right... here, near the center.”

“You have a dojo _inside_?”

Gintoki perked up and scooted a little closer to the table. “Yeah! It's not huge or anything, but having it in the main house is really convenient and it's far enough away from Ba-san's rooms that the sounds don't reach her. It helps when it's cold out, too, because the last thing I wanna do in the middle of the night is have to walk outside just to get to the dojo.”

“Most people don't do that kind of stuff in the middle of the night.”

“I'm not most people,” Gintoki replied, adding, “and I get restless a lot. We'd discussed building a hall from the main house to the dojo, but that idea was bypassed pretty quick. She liked the idea of digging a tunnel underground that came up into the training compounds even less and that was when she said I could make a space in the main house.”

Hijikata tilted his head slightly to the left. “You wanted to... dig an underground tunnel?”

“I'm very dedicated to not having to put on shoes.”

He watched Gintoki's face, he waited for him to crack a smile or scoff the statement off, but... no, that didn't happen. Except, as the silence between them became all the more prolonged, Hijikata got the distinct sinking feeling that Gintoki was actually serious.

“O-oh,” he said as the silence started to turn awkward, “yeah, makes sense.”

“And as you can see, our grounds are huge, so there's plenty of space for anything you might want to do. If you like reading, we have a respectable collection of things and you're welcome to all of it.” He pointed to a rectangle on the blueprint and tapped his finger against it and Hijikata slowly chewed the eggplant, which tasted delicious. “It's really quiet in there, but the lighting isn't the best. Ba-san has talked about relocating it more than once to a room with windows, so if you find it's too dark it won't take much convincing to move everything to a better space.”

“...okay...?”

“What's wrong?”

“What're you doin'?”

“What... do you mean?”

Hijikata frowned and shifted his weight as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. It wasn't easy, he didn't know for sure _what_ was off, and he was already so bad with words... he felt it was unlikely he'd be able to formulate his thoughts very well. He had no confidence when it came to that, but this wasn't something he could express in any other way. So, his hands twitched out in front of him and he wiggled them midair to try and make it easier on himself.

“You don't like me, I know you, ah, don't.”

Gintoki raised a brow. “I don't dislike you, either. Call me neutral.”

“This isn't you!” Hijikata blurted and threw his hands up. “I don't know you very well, but – fuck, I dunno, this just feels weird!”

“You realize we've only met, like, three times, right?”

“Yeah! B-but you're being so... weird. Your first word to me when we met was yo!”

“And then right after that you threatened to kill me. Can you maybe see why I didn't wanna do that again?” Gintoki snorted. “I still think the stutter's kinda cute.”

“I hate that you just said that.”

Gintoki cringed, but then immediately perked back up. “Here's something you won't hate! I actually have a gift for you!”

“You do? But the gift giving thing isn't for awhile....”

“Mahh, this isn't anything as grandiose as that,” Gintoki replied as he reached into his yukata and pulled out a familiar object and held it by the blade for Hijikata to take the hilt. “Here.”

Hijikata's eyes went wide. “You have my k-knife?”

“Yeah, your brother had it sent to me to do what I wanted with it.”

“And... you're giving it back because?”

“So you can use it.” Hijikata's face screwed up in confusion and Gintoki snorted before pulling the hem of his yukata aside just enough to show off the stitches. “I'm ready for these to be taken out. Tama will use her sprays and swabs and ointments, all the shit I don't want. So, could you do it?”

Hijikata took the offered knife and was unable to take comfort form the familiar hilt against his now newly sweaty palm.

**To Be Continued**

 


	12. There's Plenty of Probable Cause to Believe That You're an Idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meal of torture continues.

**[Art by: Aga](http://kvei.tumblr.com/) **

“You want me to...” Hijikata squinted at the dagger, then looked back up at Gintoki, “could you repeat that?”

“My stitches, could you cut them out?”

“Are you sure?”

“I've already given you the knife, I know you're fully capable of using it, and I've repeatedly asked you to do it. I don't wanna come off as an ass here, but I'm pretty sure that if I ask more than once, then I'm sure of what it is I'm asking.”

That was actually a good point and the way Gintoki's eyes averted upward as he carefully chose his words. Gulping, Hijikata glanced at the courtyard quickly to make sure no one was paying attention and only once he'd confirmed they were all too busy conversing did he move over to Gintoki's side of the table. He was slow to go over and he was unsure of himself every step of the way. If he were going over to someone like Kondo or Mitsuba, he'd have just scooted along the floor and tucked in next to them. With Gintoki, he found himself getting all the way up and walking over before carefully selecting a spot close to him, but not too close. By then, Gintoki had situated his clothing in a way that it was baring his shoulder and wouldn't obstruct Hijikata in any way. It was also set so that Hijikata couldn't even catch a glimpse of what might be on Gintoki's back even if he looked.

Hijikata unsheathed his knife and adjusted himself until he was partially half-way facing Gintoki. “H-how do I...?”

“You just cut the stitching on the opposite side of the knots and pull, they come out way easier than they go in and it takes less than half the time.”

“Will they bleed?”

“A little. Is that gonna bother you?”

“No.”

When Hijikata still hesitated, Gintoki asked, “Have you never had stitches?”

“I've been cut up before, but not so bad that I needed stitches.”

Gintoki blinked like such an idea was foreign to him. “Well, that's probably for the best.”

“How many times have you needed them?”

“Six or seven, I think, somewhere around there. Possibly more, now that I think about it. Tama even has her own medical kit specifically for me, so I'm sure I get into a lot more trouble than I'm currently recalling.”

“Guess I don't know you well enough to comment on the validity of that.”

“I'm sure you could assume as much, though. Now, get cutting! I wanna be free from these things before we eat.”

Very carefully, Hijikata raised his knife, then paused. “Should I pull them out as I go or cut them all and then pull them out?”

“Doesn't matter. I have no preference.”

Nodding, Hijikata touched Gintoki just below the stitches to help keep the skin still and slipped the tip of his knife underneath the stitch. It took only a gentle flick of his wrist to sever the stitch and Gintoki didn't seem bothered by it at all. More confident now, Hijikata began cutting more of the stitches and when he had five sliced, he set his knife down on the table to pull the material out. He wasn't kidding when he'd said that this kind of stuff didn't bother him, but since he'd never done it before, he was awkward with it. Using his fingers, he took the stitches the knots and, gently as he could, he pulled the first out. It gave a little resistance and visibly tugged at Gintoki's skin, but it came out fairly easily. Each one he removed left behind a tiny pinprick of blood, but there wasn't so much that it dripped or anything, it only gathered and nothing more.

He set the stitches on the table in a tiny pile and Gintoki used a napkin to dab up the tiny bit of blood that had surfaced. Hijikata cut a few more and continued the process until there was only three left. It wasn't taking very long and both of them were quiet throughout, though, for Hijikata, his silence was mostly due to his concentration. He didn't want to accidentally nick Gintoki's skin with the sharp blade and give him more cuts to deal with. Hijikata continued until there was only one left and until then, everything had been going smoothly.

“This one doesn't wanna come out.”

“So, yank it.”

“No!”

“Why not? A good yank and it'll come loose.”

“And risk ripping the wound back open? No way!”

“How hard do you think you've gotta yank to get one little lone stitch out, haah?”

“I don't know, but I'm still not risking it! Can you even imagine what would happen if you started bleeding _again_ because of me? People would look over and see a knife in my hand, blood on your shoulder, they'd see – ack!”

Gintoki had flicked him on the forehead and was staring him down. “It's literally a stitch. One. Singular. Stitch. Do you really think I'm gonna start gushing blood all over everything because of this tiny piece of string?”

“...it's silk, not string,” Hijikata replied quietly for lack of something better and less humiliating to say.

Wordlessly, Gintoki reached up and tugged the last stitch out of his skin himself. The dot of blood that followed was only slightly bigger than the other ones and Hijikata felt his cheeks warm. He dabbed the napkin against the blood until it had been wiped up and applied pressure afterward to staunch the last of the bleeding.

“Do you always blow small things out of proportion?”

“Shut up! I'm not gonna apologize for wanting to avoid another catastrophe!”

“It was just a simple question, no need to raise your voice.” Hijikata spared Gintoki a glare, then bit his lip so he wouldn't grumble what he was thinking to himself. He thought they'd be quiet for awhile, so it was a surprise when Gintoki said, “Despite the fuss, my shoulder already feels better.”

“It was feeling bad?”

“Not bad, no, stitches are just a pain. They snag on things, they keep your skin tight so you feel like you can't move without potentially ripping one or more of them, and they get really itchy after the first day, I hate that.”

Hijikata made a noise and removed the napkin to see if the bleeding had stopped. It had, but without the stitching in the way and with no blood to obscure it, he could see it for what it was.

“I-it really left a scar.”

“Yeah, but that's alright, I have plenty of them. What's one more?”

“How many is plenty?”

“You'll see soon enough, won't you?”

“Ah,” Hijikata's face turned an alarming temperature of way too fucking hot in two seconds flat, “yeah, I f-forgot.”

He'd completely forgotten about the goddamn bathhouse thing they had to do.

“Are scars going to be a problem for you?”

“No, it'll be fine. I have scars, too, just not ones that required sewing me up to get them to heal.”

Now that his job was done, Hijikata quickly grabbed the sheath and went back to the other side of the table to get away. Gintoki put his yukata back on correctly and picked up his chopsticks to eat more eggplant. Hijikata put the knife back in its sheath and fondly ran his thumb over the familiar design a few times just to feel it beneath this fingers again.

“Here,” Hijikata said and reluctantly held out the knife, but Gintoki shook his head.

“I said that was a gift for you. It was gifted to me with a letter from your brother and I'm giving it back to its rightful owner.”

“You don't have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to and I don't have a real use for it, so it'd go to waste if I kept it.”

“You don't use knives?”

“I do and I like them. They're not my weapon of choice, but I'm good with them and I've got a nice set.” Gintoki did that perking up thing again and leaned forward with a piece of eggplant still in his raised chopsticks. “I could show them to you if you want! When you live here you'd have access to them and as long as you keep them nice, I won't mind you using them.”

“Uhh... okay?”

Gintoki paused. “Or are _you_ not a knife person?”

“I am, in a way. I like swords better, but knives are good, too.”

“You certainly know how to use one.”

“Shut it.”

“That one looks pretty expensive, where'd you get it?”

Hijikata wrapped his hands tighter around it. “It was my father's. He gave this to me a couple weeks before he died.”

“It's really nice. I like the hilt, but the blade is what's best about it. Did your father always have his weaponry specially crafted for him?”

“H-he did, yeah.”

“I do that, too. It can get pricey, but we've got the best blacksmith here. She can make a little bit go a long way.”

Looking away, Hijikata put the knife down out of sight and tried eating something just to fill the void. He could feel himself starting to get awkward and up until this moment, they'd been able to talk okay. Hijikata didn't know what to say, he could think of nothing he could offer that might interest Gintoki at all and he didn't particularly want to interest the bastard. He didn't want to talk about his father and he didn't know how to defer the conversation away from it, so he just didn't talk about anything at all. He kept his eyes cast aside or on the food and ate quietly, trying all the food available while not really tasting any of it.

The longer the silence stretched, the more awkward and unbearable the situation became.

It then dawned on Hijikata that their main course hadn't even arrived yet.

**To Be Continued**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUCH A HUGE THANK YOU TO AGA FOR DOING SUCH GORGEOUS WORK TO GO WITH THIS A8SP9YFOASHIJDLKFA I'M TRULY HONORED AND BLESSED THANK YOU!!!!!


	13. If Eating is All You Can Do, Then Stuff Your Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meal continues and Gintoki makes a rather unfortunate discovery.

Gintoki subtly shifted himself in his seat, but it didn't help at all and he was adjusting his weight so much that Hijikata was bound to notice eventually if he hadn't already. He didn't have to pee or anything, he was just trying to get through this awkward meal without completely fucking everything up. No matter what he said, he didn't seem to interest Hijikata _at all_ and it was getting so bad that he was tempted to grab the knife and stab himself just so something would happen.

Not _really_ , but it was steadily moving toward that point where the silence between them was spanning longer and Gintoki was running out of things to say. He'd pretty much exhausted all of his ideas and not even showing Hijikata the blueprint of the house had really generated that much interest. There had been instances where it seemed like Hijikata had been interested in some of the things he'd been saying, but that never lasted and if Gintoki ever expanded on the thing Hijikata seemed interested in, then he'd just get stared at. That was really so frustrating! Hijikata was such an expressive person, he wore his emotions on his sleeve, but Gintoki couldn't decipher what being stared at meant.

Hijikata showed interest in knives.

Gintoki explained the types he had on the grounds.

Hijikata stared at him like he was watching paint dry.

Hijikata showed interest in scrolls.

Gintoki told him about the extensive library they kept.

Hijikata stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language.

It felt like Hijikata was humoring him just to be polite and Gintoki, instead of shutting up when he should, kept talking and apparently, made things worse. If Hijikata were _anyone else_ , Gintoki was sure he wouldn't be having any problems. He never even had this many issues when he first met Takasugi and, at the time, he'd thought that that introduction had gone pretty bad. He liked to think that he got along with most people and the ones he didn't get along with he could at least tolerate until they could part ways. With Hijikata, it was like continuously beating his face against a wooden board and from what he could tell, the guy was _boring_.

Every time Gintoki tried to start a conversation with him, Hijikata's answers were so bland and stunted that it was difficult to keep it going.

Granted, it'd been fun to make him pull out the stitches and Gintoki had gotten some useful information out of it. He wouldn't do well with someone that was squeamish around blood or found cuts and wounds disgusting. It was also relieving to find out that he wasn't bothered by scars since Gintoki already had a decent collection of them. It would have been so terrible if Hijikata didn't like them, then saw all the ones Gintoki had at the bathhouse and freaked out over them. With the way things were going between them, Gintoki was getting the feeling that every event of the courtship was going to plagued by bad experiences.

Their first meeting had ended prematurely with a stabbing.

This second first meeting was compromised by long silences, forced conversation, uncomfortable shifting, and a lot of eating just so they'd have an excuse not to speak. Oh, and there was weird sporadic eye contact that lasted only a second before they were both trying to find something new to look at. Gintoki was tempted to stare him down just to see what he'd do and he _would_ if it were anyone but his future spouse who already didn't like him very much. It was because of this whole event that Gintoki was becoming increasingly aware of how difficult it was to care about not pissing someone off. He didn't have to worry about such things with Otose, his guards, or his friends, and when it came to relations with other houses, he was good at managing and presenting himself. He had his own way of doing it, but he hadn't run into any problems... until now.

One thing Gintoki had learned _really_ quick was to not bring up Hijikata's family. He'd gotten stabbed when they'd been talking about his brother and bringing up his father had shut him down and visibly made him uncomfortable. So, at least Gintoki was learning what _not_ to say and that list was substantially, almost comically, longer than the amount of things Gintoki felt he could talk about.

The main course had been brought out and they were currently dining on glazed black cod and miso soup with fresh mussels. Hijikata was eating small precise bites and it made Gintoki pay more attention to how he was eating, which was stupid and he hated it. The two of them had been quiet for awhile and Gintoki had to consciously not reach up and mess with his new scar. It didn't hurt, but it itched and he wanted so much to touch it, feel it out, and get used to it. However, he knew that that'd be terrible table manners and Otose would kick his ass if she found out she'd done it in front of Hijikata.

“Is the food good?”

“Yeah.”

“Are there foods you prefer?”

“Not really.”

“Are you sure? If there's stuff you like better, all you have to do is say so and the cooks will be all over it.” As soon as he said that, he remembered something else and asked, “You don't have any allergies, do you?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Good,” Gintoki replied and nudged a piece of cod with his chopsticks. “What do you like to do?”

“I keep up with my studies and training.”

“And you... like that?”

“I guess.”

“Ah.”

Boring.

He was so boring.

Unless he was just saying what he thought Gintoki wanted to hear, then he was possibly one of the most boring people he'd ever met and Gintoki was struggling so much with it. He ate some cod, then quietly as he could got into the miso and mussels. It was all really good to him, but he noticed that Hijikata wasn't drinking much of any of his sake even though he'd asked for it. There was another lull between them and Gintoki shifted as he continued to eat very slowly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scab doing a perimeter check not far off and Gintoki seized the opportunity.

“Excuse me just a second, I'll be right back.”

Gintoki got up and since Scab was on the back side of the gazebo, he was able to slink around the outside of it to remain out of sight. If Otose happened to look up, she'd have a good view of Hijikata and those old eyes of hers would probably mistake some of the white flowers for Gintoki. He didn't think anyone saw him and he wanted to make this quick, so he closed the distance between himself and Scab quickly.

“Psst – Scab!” He hurriedly walked over and turned so his back was to the gazebo in case Hijikata was looking. “Mayday! I'm having the worst time over there!”

“You two seemed to be doing fine.”

“Fine is the worst word you could use! He's such a boring guy, I don't know what else to talk to him about! Help me, what do I say?”

Scab shrugged. “Have you complimented him at all?”

“And say _what_? My, you had excellent form when you stabbed me. Great posture! My favorite part was when the knife went into my skin!”

“You're overreacting.”

“Am I? I feel like this is an appropriate amount of acting. I'm drowning over there!”

“It might be best if you didn't speak.”

“If I'm not talking and he's not talking, who is? No one! It's awkward enough as it is!”

“If he's fine with the silence, why shouldn't you be? Let him speak if he wants, you aren't obligated to find something to talk about.”

“Great. I'll just sit there like an idiot and we can watch each other eat. Perfect. Thank you so much for the advice, all my problems are solved now.”

Gintoki started to turn away, but Scab lightly touched his arm to stop him. It was such a fleeting touch and there was something akin to an apology that flashed over Scab's face as he pulled his hand back.

“Young master, I don't think it matters how much or how little you two talk at this meal. You don't have to get to know him in the span of a few hours, I think... you're giving yourself too many expectations to accomplish at once.”

“That doesn't sound like me at all,” Gintoki mumbled, but he knew Scab wasn't far off the mark.

“My advice, if I were to give any, would be to tell you to cut yourself some slack. They're here and they're not going to call this off over a quiet meal.”

Gintoki's mouth kicked up on one side. “I'll keep that in mind.”

Scab nodded and went back to his check with a quiet, “Good luck.”

Feeling marginally better, Gintoki returned to Hijikata and wasn't bothered that he didn't get greeted or even really acknowledged. It was almost as if Hijikata hadn't even noticed he'd left and Gintoki wasn't sure how to take that. He went back to eating and drank a healthy amount of sake just because he felt he needed it.

“How long is this supposed to last?”

The cod Gintoki had been about to eat slipped from his chopsticks and plopped back onto his plate. “I don't... know? I never asked. I'd assume it'll go on until all the courses are done with maybe a little extra time at the end.”

“That makes sense,” Hijikata replied.

Gintoki looked over to the group and did a quick scan before asking, “Did you bring any of your friends along?”

“No.”

“Did you not want to?”

“That's not it.”

“They'll always be allowed here,” Gintoki offered. “My friends will be in and out all the time, you'll be given that same privilege.” Hijikata nodded and a very brief grumpy look passed over his face before he could hide it. It wasn't there long at all, but it was enough to make Gintoki want to ask, “Is that not what you want?”

“It is,” Hijikata said woodenly.

Gintoki still didn't know what the problem was, so he tried, “My friends tend to be around a lot. I don't invite them most of the time and the guards are so familiar with them that they're allowed to just pop in whenever, so you can expect that to happen often.”

Hijikata gave no reaction, he just kept eating, so Gintoki assumed he was okay with it. They ate some more, a repetitive event, and to Gintoki, everything he ate was excellent – especially the sake. He rattled his brain trying to come up with something, but he'd never had to really _try_ to, it always came naturally.

“It might be worth mentioning that I have a couple apprentices.”

Hijikata paused. “A couple meaning... two?”

“Yeah!” Gintoki grasped at his apparent interest and went right into explaining more. “One is too young to be an actual apprentice, but she's gonna be mine when she's old enough so she comes over a lot just to get used to me.”

“I see.”

That was all he said and Gintoki's optimism very quickly got destroyed. He distracted himself with using his chopsticks and that gave him an excuse to look down. He knew Hijikata wasn't watching him and he felt like he'd just said something wrong.

“How's the house? Is it all fixed now?”

“Mostly. It looks better, but the smell is sticking around.”

“That's good,” Gintoki replied and then wanted to kick himself. “Good that it looks better, not that it smells bad.”

“I figured.”

Oh, this was getting painful, but at least the best course was coming up.

“You want any dessert? I'm not totally sure what's being made, but suama, uiro, monaka, and dango are things we keep on hand everyday.”

“I'm full.”

“Not even a bite? You should at least try it! The dango is especially good!”

“I don't like sweets.”

Gintoki twitched.

He felt it in his whole body and he knew his brows had just shot up to his hairline. Didn't... like... sweets? What kind of person didn't like sweets? He'd worked so hard to get this to happen and to get them back to the point where their two houses could do this, but he'd had no idea Hijikata was this bad. He was so boring, he was impossible to talk to, and he _didn't like sweets_.

The knife remained on the table, but Gintoki still felt like he'd just been stabbed – it hurt worse this time around.

**To Be Continued**

 


	14. Ventilation is Essential to Keep the Air Fresh and Venting is Just as Essential

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, friendships can be even more important than familial relationships.

Hijikata was grinding his teeth two hours later and despite having just finished a meal that consisted of far too many courses, he wasn't full. He wasn't hungry, but then, he hadn't been hungry before the meal, either. Leave it to someone like Gintoki to make him lose his appetite completely. Hijikata had only just gotten back to his own house and he was being escorted to where his brother was waiting for him. Tamegoro had left first and, as custom dictated, Hijikata was the last to leave with Gintoki being the sole person to see him off. That parting couldn't have been more awkward and Hijikata's face heated up just thinking about it – he didn't want to think about it.

He walked through a familiar set of large double doors and the only thing he could bring himself to take comfort in was the weight of the knife hidden away in the folds of his clothes. He had to resist the urge to touch it and just wrap his fingers around the hilt so he could feel the different textures beneath his skin. The knife was the only good thing to come out of the whole charade and while he still didn't understand why Gintoki had given it back, he could say that at the very least he was slightly grateful to the moron for doing it. The gesture itself could be taken as a sign of trust, but Hijikata really didn't want to think on it too much and he was certainly hesitant to believe that Gintoki was capable of harboring anything with a deeper meaning to it.

“You didn't linger,” Tamegoro reproved upon seeing Hijikata and then turned to him expectantly.

“Of course not.”

“You should have stayed awhile longer. It would have looked better if you'd shown some interest in wanting to see more while you were there. With how quickly you got here, you must have left right after I did.”

“There wasn't a reason to _linger_ ,” Hijikata said and tried not to spit the word – he had to have been unsuccessful with the look Tamegoro spared him. “We accomplished what we needed to and I felt that if I stayed, I'd be overstaying my welcome.”

It was difficult to tell whether Tamegoro bought that or not. They stared at each other for a long moment and Hijikata unflinchingly held his gaze. Surreptitiously, he pulled his right arm in closer to his body and pressed the outline of the knife more firmly against himself. Tamegoro finally sighed and went over to sit on the largest and most plush mat that was there specifically for the head of the house. He gestured for Hijikata to sit with him and while he didn't want to, he obediently went over and took a seat across from him anyway.

“How did it go?”

“It was fine,” Hijikata replied as he settled.

“He disappeared at one point,” Tamegoro waved to a guard to bring them something to drink, “where did he go?”

“He was talking to one of his guards.”

“Why? Was something wrong?”

“No,” Hijikata's palms started to sweat, “he just had to tell him something, I think.”

“You don't know?”

“I didn't feel it was my place to ask.”

That was true, but whether or not Hijikata felt okay asking, he hadn't cared enough to ask, so that was the real reason why he hadn't.

“Do you know what's next?”

“Isn't it a casual greeting?”

“Yes, and the two of you should go off together. Have him show you around, try to get to know the grounds.”

“Okay.”

Tamegoro nodded. “It'd be good to show them that you can be completely alone and mostly unsupervised with him without incidence.”

He was talking to himself, so Hijikata didn't respond and the words stung enough that he didn't want to speak. The same shame he'd felt before came roaring back and his hands clenched into fists on his thighs. The desire to defend himself had him biting his tongue to quell the urge and he knew that nothing he could possibly say would make his previous actions sound any more rational. Tamegoro especially wouldn't be able to understand and Hijikata didn't have the strength to try and unring a bell he'd already rang.

“Will you be there for the casual greeting?”

“Not unless you require me to be there. It'd be a stronger display of trust on our part if you went alone with just your guards as escort.”

“Okay.”

For about an hour, Hijikata sat with Tamegoro and went through the motions of drinking tea and pretending he had a voice in the outcome of his future. He tried his best to remain engaged and concerned about the casual greeting and all the things that came after that, but he could safely say that his heart just wasn't in it. When he was finally released, he went for his room and wasn't at all surprised to find Kondo there waiting for him. He must have been waiting for awhile because there was a pile of banana peels on the floor next to him.

“You're still in one piece!” Kondo hailed with a large smile.

“I guess.”

Kondo shifted to face him and spread his arms out invitingly. “Well, let's hear it!”

“It went fine. As you said, I'm in one piece.”

“You also look like you've bitten a hole through your tongue to keep yourself from saying what you want to say. Go ahead, unload! That's why I'm here!”

Hijikata turned his head to make sure the door was shut all the way and then strode further into the room. He began to pace and he could feel a surge of _something_ rising in his chest, it was so strong he felt like it might choke him if it got any stronger.

“I don't know how I'm going to keep doing this,” Hijikata began.

“You still don't like him?”

“Not even a little bit! Having to talk to him today was like running my face over coarse sandpaper! And you should've seen it, there was this _look_ he gave me at one point and I thought he was going to get up and call the whole thing off right then and there!”

“What kind of look?”

“I don't know! It was just suddenly like I'd somehow managed to offend him more than I had when I stabbed him!”

“That seems... strange.”

“He has apprentices!” Hijikata roared. “Two of them! Someone actually entrusts that moron to be a mentor to _two_ apprentices!”

“Oo, apprentices? At his age? Who are they?”

“Damned if I know! Just listening to him jabber on and on about what _privileges_ I'd have and how I'd be _allowed_ to do certain things, I was almost glad I'd stabbed him that first time! I should've done it harder!”

“You're worked up right now, you don't mean that.”

“Don't tell me what I do or don't mean!”

Kondo hid a poorly concealed smile behind his hand and motioned for Hijikata to continue his tirade.

Which Hijikata did.

He didn't know he had so much to say until it was flooding out him so quickly that he didn't know how to stop it.

-o-O-o-

Gintoki finished briefing Otose on everything that had happened during the visit and it was a very easy conversation. She listened intently, commented infrequently, and overall, she looked very pleased with the outcome. That alone was enough to make Gintoki feel like he'd accomplished something for the day and he was distantly impressed with himself for his performance in front of her. He spun it out as best he could, he made it seem like nothing was amiss, and he even dropped hints that he was looking forward to having Hijikata over again.

The words had tasted like acid on his tongue as he'd said them, but hey, he'd managed to get them out regardless and that was something worth celebrating.

Once he was finished with Otose – who he was sure suspected nothing – Gintoki instructed Scab to send out an invitation to his friends. Gintoki didn't waste time and went straight for the dojo. He cleared it out so that it was just him with his guards posted outside and he quickly took up one of the wooden bokkens to start practicing with. He hadn't changed out of his formal clothing yet, but that wasn't going to get in his way. It was clumsy and he probably looked half-crazed, but he took off the top half of his clothing and let it fall so he could keep it tied around his waist.

He practiced on his own for about fifteen minutes before he heard a voice at the door, “You seem to have survived unscathed.”

Gintoki picked up another sword and tossed it to Katsura, replying, “Don't speak too soon.”

“Well, at least you're not bleeding,” Katsura said and easily plucked the sword out of the air.

“You got here quick, you must've been waiting for this.”

“It's not an accident that I was on my way here when I got intercepted, if that's what you're getting at.”

Gintoki smirked and took an expectant stance as Katsura redid his clothes to match Gintoki's. His smirk deepened when Katsura cast him a disapproving look for still being in his _fancy_ clothes, but he didn't remark on it. While Katsura was finishing getting himself set, Gintoki idly studied and admired the tattoo covering Katsura's right shoulder. The familiar vines on his shoulder led down to a series of petals floating down his bicep. Like Gintoki, Katsura's tattoos weren't finished and were only in the process of being filled out. He liked Katsura's designs, they suited him even unfinished as they were. The great flower on his back had its petals open wide enough to span from one side of Katsura's back to the other and the backdrop of vines and smaller flowers was tasteful. Gintoki wasn't sure yet if there would be an animal fitted into the pattern later and part of him hoped there wouldn't be simply because he liked the way it looked as it was.

“You're staring.”

“There are new petals on your arm to stare at.”

Katsura glanced and them and smiled. “There was supposed to be more finished by now, but because of an unfortunate accident with a cat and spilled ink, my session got cut short.”

Gintoki's reply got cut off as Katsura's practice sword clacked against his own and their spar began. Sparring with Katsura was a lot less intensive than it was with someone like Takasugi and Gintoki enjoyed it when it was just the two of them. He could already feel some of his taut muscles relaxing bit by bit and his movements as he followed along familiar steps became smooth rather than stilted. The _clack, clack, clack_ of their swords was comforting and Katsura met every single one of Gintoki's drives until they were both covered in a light sheen of sweat.

“You've been very quiet and I don't trust that,” Katsura said sometime later as they continued their spar around the room.

“I'm building up to it. Dramatic effect and all that.”

“Don't keep me in suspense much longer or I'll have to start forcing it out of you.”

“As if you could,” Gintoki scoffed.

Katsura came at him with a quick successions of short strikes that managed to whack Gintoki right on his knuckles.

“You should know better than to goad me, it never works out for you very well.”

Gintoki shook out his stinging hand and glared, but it was completely ineffectual. Katsura was immune to him by now and his only response was to strike at Gintoki again, forcing him to use his left hand.

“Out with it!”

“He doesn't like sweets!” Gintoki yelled and advanced in a counterstrike. “He said that! To my face! Looked me right in the eye and told me he doesn't like sweets!” Katsura made a suspicious noise and Gintoki gaped. “You're laughing! The universe is trying to pair me with a childish boy that doesn't like sweets and you're _enjoying it_!”

“Someone has to,” Katsura said with a shrug, “it might as well be me.”

“Bastard!”

Katsura blocked his strike and poked his chest with a finger. “Me or him?”

“Both of you!”

That earned him a laugh and from that point on, finding the right words to say to express all his frustrations was a lot easier and there was no stopping them from pouring out.

**To Be Continued**

 


	15. Every Good Tour Requires a Good Detour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casual greeting time! Some one on one time -- plus a few guards to even it out -- between Gintoki and Hijikata to see how they do together.
> 
> DUM DUM DUMMMMMM  
> The end of this makes me laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to a very rude/childish anon that spammed my inbox demanding I write a certain way, I'd like to take a moment and make sure everyone knows that this is a GinHijiGin fic just like all my other ones. 
> 
> For clarification: both Gintoki and Hijikata will take turns topping and bottoming.
> 
> I want to make this very clear so that there's no confusion on this and so I don't get someone freaking out on me telling me that only Gintoki can top or some such nonsense. 
> 
> Hijikata is just as capable as a top as he is a bottom. Same with Gintoki.

Hijikata was stuffed into clothes that were too new and stiff for his liking. He was also already sweating and he hadn't even arrived at his destination. He wanted to take his time getting there, but if he took too long, then it'd make him look bad since the Terada house was expecting him. Everything had been prearranged and Hijikata had two guards accompanying him to follow him around and ensure his safety. It felt odd going over without his brother and he'd been told so many times not to mess things up again that he was worried that anything he did might somehow screw it all up.

He could handle this – he kept telling himself that and Kondo had reinforced it before he'd left. Mitsuba had picked out his clothing, so he looked nice without looking _too_ nice and he was wearing a simple blue yukata that kept the casual feel. She'd also done his hair up nicely in a ponytail with a string of small crystals hanging off his hair tie so they mixed into his hair – he wasn't fond of it, but she said it made him look nice.

Tamegoro had inspected him before he'd left and he'd gotten his final reminders on leaving a good impression. This whole meeting was supposed to be more laid back where they could just spend time together, but that was the last thing Hijikata wanted to do. For something that everyone thought of as casual, it almost felt like there was more pressure on this than the previous meal shared between both houses.

When he arrived at the house – which was suspiciously lacking a dark cloud hovering over it – there was already a guard waiting for him outside and he immediately showed Hijikata into a large room with plush furniture stuffed in it. Hijikata waited there as he'd been instructed and he smoothed his yukata down to get the wrinkles out. He didn't really care about the wrinkles, but getting them out made him feel productive and if any of the guards saw him do it, they'd assume he gave a damn about what he looked like. When he heard footsteps coming, he stood up straighter and held his head higher – no one could guess he was holding his breath.

Gintoki rounded the corner and grinned when he saw Hijikata, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes. He walked up to Hijikata, bowed as he was supposed to, and Hijikata returned the gesture before they could start speaking.

“Good afternoon, I'm glad you could make it,” Gintoki said pleasantly.

“Thank you for having me.”

The words felt wooden and awkward coming out of his mouth and Hijikata was overcome with the strangest urge to punch himself. It didn't help that they had an audience, Hijikata didn't want to be doing this in front of anyone, not even guards from his own house. He was sure that one or both of them would be reporting back to Tamegoro directly and would tell him everything that happened, good and bad.

“The boss sends her apologies. She'd be here to greet you, but she got held up in a minor negotiation.”

“That's alright, I don't mind.”

“There's food available if you'd like anything to eat.”

“I'm not hungry.”

“I can get you any kind of beverage.”

“I'm okay.”

“Would you... like to have a seat?”

Hijikata thought back to what his brother had told him and he shook his head. “I'd rather be shown around.”

“Oh, yeah, I can do that! Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to see?”

“No.”

“Right this way, then!”

Gintoki went to put a hand on Hijikata's back to guide him out of the room, but Hijikata saw it coming and he subtly moved just out of reach. Gintoki's hand quickly retracted back to his side and he led the way out of the room into a series of hallways that all looked the same. Hijikata took everything in as they walked and he looked over his shoulder multiple times even though he knew it was just their guards back there. He half-listened as Gintoki pointed out different rooms and what they were for, but he couldn't bring himself to really be invested or care. Every noise had Hijikata looking that way and despite his guards being there, he still felt like he was going to get jumped.

“You're looking for my friends again.”

“I'm not,” he totally was, “don't assume things.”

Gintoki laughed softly and shook his head, asking, “Do you really think my friends are gonna pop out of the woodwork?”

“From what I heard, they might just have that capability, but again, I'm not looking for them.”

“I can invite them over and introduce you.”

“You've tossed some terrible ideas my way and that's one of your worst ones.”

“Of all the people to get stuck with, I just _had_ to get someone that's impossible to impress, didn't I?”

Hijikata snorted. “ _Impress_? You're not seriously trying to use your friends to impress me, are you? Because that's never gonna work.”

“I think you're lying,” Gintoki replied and leaned in closer, squinting. “You've got questions, I can tell.”

“You're so arrogant! No one ever talks about you or your stupid friends!”

“Yet you say you've heard things! How can you hear things if no one talks about us?”

“Shut up! You're not nearly as interesting as you think you are!”

Hijikata gave him a shove to get him away and Gintoki had the audacity to laugh. It was annoying because Hijikata did have some questions, but there was no way he'd feed into this asshole's ego and actually ask them. After he pushed Gintoki, he went to take a turn down one of the halls they were passing, but a hand lightly grabbed his bicep.

“Ah, no,” Gintoki quickly let go and kept his hand held up so Hijikata could see it wasn't a threat, “we can't go that way.”

“Why not?”

Gintoki smiled and ducked his head. “Our rooms are down there.”

“O-our rooms?”

“Yeah, the whole wing is being renovated,” he motioned for Hijikata to follow him down a different hall, “not even I know what it looks like anymore.”

“Our rooms.”

“You know, for after we get married.”

Hijikata stared blankly at Gintoki as they walked. “We have _rooms_?”

“Well... yeah?”

“As in, more than one?”

Gintoki's head tilted. “Yes? What were you expecting?”

“I don't know. Not that.”

“Did you think we'd make you sleep outside in the grass or something?”

“No! Maybe just a room. Singular.”

“You're thinking of a room by yourself, aren't you?” Gintoki asked knowingly.

Hijikata's insides curled in on themselves and his nerves shot up to the ceiling. He was marrying into this, he technically didn't have any right to ask for anything yet and if he pushed for too much, he could turn the family away from him. He knew the rules regarding this setup and he knew that Gintoki's family was the one that had to impress him and make him happy, but once he was married, they could do whatever they wanted to him. If he pissed them off now, they could pretend to treat him well until they were married and then they'd be able to get back at him. Gintoki would have the power to lock him up so that he'd never see the light of day again and Tamegoro would have no say in it whatsoever – Hijikata would be trapped.

Fists clenching at his sides, Hijikata said firmly, “I am.”

Hijikata felt worse once the words were out and it was almost like he was tempting fate with this. He wasn't sure what he was doing exactly, he just knew that he wasn't good at faking it and there was no way he was going to be able to lie to Gintoki or his family. He might be able to pretend to a certain extent, but to outright lie to them, he'd never be able to get away with it.

“I've thought about that, too,” Gintoki said.

“You have?”

“Of course! Probably not as much as you have, but it has crossed my mind.”

“Don't you think it'd be better if we lived separately?”

“Yeah, but the rooms are being constructed on the basis that we'll be living together.”

Hijikata nodded and his hands remained in fists. “That's fine. I won't need much space, just a room.”

“I'm sure one of the rooms in there will work for you.”

“Do you know what any of them will look like when it's finished?”

“Nope! I'm not allowed down there.”

“You're... not?”

Gintoki shook his head. “It's one of the gifts once we're married. I'm not supposed to go that way or even peek until we're married and I can take you there. From what I was told, I'm not allowed to see it until we can go there together with you as a part of my family. There's some symbolism behind that, like from an old tradition that we have to carry on.”

“You won't mind living separately?”

“Not at all! It's what I've been expecting after we're through with the first week together requirement.” Gintoki turned them down another hall and Hijikata could see daylight filling the room at the end of it. “I've been counting on it, actually. I think it'll be easier on both of us and it'll take some of the pressure off if we plan on living on our own from the start.”

Hijikata let out a loud sigh. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.”

“I have some idea, I think. Have you actually gone through all the scrolls on this kind of arrangement? Because I've gotta tell you, I have and they're a nightmare.”

“I've had to go over them thoroughly, yeah,” Hijikata replied and smirked at how Gintoki's eyes had bulged. He wasn't going to tell Gintoki that he'd had to sit down with his brother for hours on end and go over all the rules again and again until he'd committed them all to memory. “Most of them are so outdated. I wouldn't say that to anyone else, but by the looks of you, you get it.”

“How could I not get it when there are so many ceremonies? _Why_ are there so many ceremonies? There aren't even that many ceremonies when a house gets a new boss! When it comes to getting married it's like all those ceremonies have ceremonies within the ceremony and I'm just not built to endure so many _nice_ things in a row.”

“It's ridiculous,” Hijikata agreed. “Then there's the back and forth between formal and casual like either of us give a damn about it.”

“I give a damn!” Gintoki burst and flinched with a glance over his shoulder at the guards. He lowered his voice and continued, “I give many damns! I'd rather have casual any day of the week, I'm not the formal type. Can you really look me in the eye and tell me you enjoy being formal?”

“No, I can't.”

“The only up side is the food, but even some of that is too expensive for my tastes.”

Hijikata hummed in agreement and Gintoki showed him into the bright room that led out into the yard.

“Did I miss the dojo?” Hijikata asked as he stepped out onto the path lining the grass.

“No, we haven't gone that way yet. Figured we'd do the outside loop and then circle back to finish with the best part.”

“The dojo is the best?”

“It's a good time, but it's second best.”

“Then what's the best?”

“My room.” Gintoki laughed at Hijikata's prompt glare and he quickly shook his head. “I didn't mean that as dirty as it sounded! I was kidding, just forget I said that! Yes, the dojo is the best, I swear you won't be disappointed!”

Hijikata felt his nose curl in distaste, but at least his face wasn't very warm, so far as he could tell. They started walking along the path and Hijikata could see all the flowers they were headed toward, but he could smell them even more since the wind was blowing toward them. The quiet between them wasn't as awkward as before, but it still felt like something that needed to be broken or it'd just go on. He didn't want his guards going back to Tamegoro and reporting that Hijikata had spent most of his time quietly following Gintoki around.

“So...,” he rattled his brain for something to say, “had you ever thought about marriage before this arrangement?”

“Nah, I enjoy being single.” Gintoki paused, then added hastily, “Not that I think married life will suck or anything! It'll be fine, I'm sure, it'll just take some getting used to. What about you?”

Hijikata opened his mouth to reply, but he barely got a word out before something hit him and sent him to the ground.

**To Be Continued**

 


	16. Sometimes You Just Need a Rock to the Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> //jazzhands  
> The title is very informative~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of quite a few presents for Gintoki's birthday!!

Art By: [Shirleyxcute](http://shirleyxcute.tumblr.com/)

Hijikata felt invincible.

In a very real sense, he knew he wasn't awake and that this wasn't part of his reality. There was just something about the way things looked, like it was almost glowing, that tipped him off that he was dreaming. He hadn't ever had a dream so vivid before; in fact, he rarely dreamed at all, so this was all wrong right from the start. Except, it was hard to truly think it was wrong when it felt so fucking _right_.

For once in his life, he felt strong and he exulted in the feeling. He knew he wasn't a weak person, but he'd never felt unstoppable before and it was incredible. There was a roomful of bodies in front of him and there was no doubt in Hijikata's mind that they were bad. He felt like he was protecting something, like he had something he was desperate to fight for, and it all fed into the adrenaline and sense of purpose coursing through him.

His hair was done and there was some kind of garment on the left side, but he couldn't immediately place why. He was wearing expensive clothing that were stained with blood and between his hands he held a knife that he was fully prepared to use again. He was dressed garishly up for something, an important sort of something, and he had the vague sense that his wedding day had just gone terribly wrong. He wasn't bothered by it, though, and despite knowing there was blood smeared on his face and neck, he was calm and focused. There was a sense of urgency, but oddly, he was self-assured, which was new for him.

The sound of fighting didn't rile him, he just stood and waited – expectant. Bodies hit the floor with a thud and Gintoki came striding into the room from the hall the sounds had been coming from. He smiled when he saw Hijikata, but it was more of a smirk and Gintoki's eyes flashed with approval when they appraised Hijikata. Gintoki's yukata was tied around his waist and he approached Hijikata with a stalk to his walk. He put his bokken over his shoulder and walked to Hijikata with a familiarity that was foreign, yet so familiar it put Hijikata even more at ease.

“Ready to go?” Gintoki asked as he passed.

Hijikata turned and walked by his side without question.

-o-O-o-

Hijikata moved from the blackness slowly and he became aware of each heavy limb one by one. He was still disconnected with his surrounding and he couldn't move, he could hardly even remember what happened. He'd been walking with Gintoki and then – nothing.

“He's dead, he's dead, he's dead, we killed him, he's _dead_!” Gintoki's panicked voiced filtered through and it sounded a lot closer than before. “What are we going to tell people?”

“He's not dead,” a woman replied calmly – Hijikata vaguely recognized the voice as familiar.

“He has a bump on his head! A _bump_! Do you see it? I can see it! It's a huge bump on the side of his head, no one is going to miss that! If he isn't dead, then I am!”

“It wasn't your fault.”

“He's in my care! People will think I pushed him!”

“His guards saw what happened.”

“That doesn't matter! How am I supposed to get him to like me when he already hates me and now has even more reason to hate me? I've deformed him!”

“It wasn't you and he's not deformed.”

“You're just saying that because you're being paid to say that!” Gintoki snapped. “And the worst part is that any other day, seeing someone passed out like this wouldn't even be a big deal! I wouldn't even think twice about it! But it's _him_!”

“Yes, you're usually much more relaxed,” the woman said flatly. “I can recall an event not too long ago where you went overboard and had to be restrained merely because young Sakamoto hurt his arm.”

“We've been over this! I thought it was broken, it was his dominant fighting arm, and the –”

“Offenders needed to pay, I remember.”

“They did and I stand by that! Can we please get back to the problem that's still on the ground in front of you?”

“I don't like him,” a new voice, also female, said.

“I told you to be quiet! You've caused enough trouble!”

Hijikata took in a sharp breath as the pain of the bump on his head finally registered and his eyes popped open only to close again against the sun. Once he saw the light, he could feel it on his skin and he knew just from that that he was extremely disjointed with what was going on.

“He lives!” Gintoki announced and Hijikata felt a hand touch his arm. “Do you remember your name? Do you know where you are?”

“Give him a moment,” Tama chastised. Her fingers lightly touched Hijikata's forehead just shy of where the pain was coming from and he turned his head away. “I know it's uncomfortable, but I've got some ice here if you'd hold still.”

“What happened?”

The ice was pressed to Hijikata's head and he didn't flinch or try to open his eyes again since it felt good.

“What's the last thing you remember?” Tama asked instead of answering.

“Walking. We were walking and then...” his brows scrunched in thought, “did something hit me?”

“That was me!” Hijikata squinted his eyes open and at first, all he saw was Gintoki's large eyes, but then he could make out something like a misshapen growth on Gintoki's shoulder. He stared at the fuzzy outline until it took shape and there, clinging to Gintoki's back, was a child with shocking red hair and bright blue eyes. She was frowning at him and he made a point to frown back just to let her know that the dislike was completely mutual. “I didn't _mean_ to run into you. I was coming to see Gin-chan and you got in the way.”

“You're not supposed to talk to him like that!” Gintoki snapped and smothered her face with his hand.

“You hit your head when you fell,” Tama said softly while the other two bickered with each other. Though, Gintoki's hand didn't leave Hijikata's arm and he was disconcertingly aware of that. “You landed just right to catch a rock on your forehead.”

“How many fingers am I holding up?” Gintoki asked anxiously and held his hand out.

Tama swiftly – harshly – smacked it away. “What did I tell you?”

“I'm sorry! He just seems so out of it!”

Hijikata was watching the girl and she stuck her tongue out at him. She couldn't have been older than six and a part of Hijikata felt like he should know who she was, but nothing was coming to him. He lost the conversation Tama and Gintoki were having and he could feel his scrambled thoughts collecting themselves little by little. He wasn't alarmed, he'd been disoriented more than once before, but it was strange that this was worse than the bomb going off. Or maybe it wasn't worse, he couldn't actually tell.

“Do you think you can sit up?” Tama asked. Hijikata nodded and let Gintoki's grip on his arm give him enough leverage to sit. “Don't move too quickly, let yourself adjust.”

The icepack was removed and Hijikata shook his head. “I'm okay, thanks.”

“No dizziness?”

“A little, but it'll wear off.”

“As much as I'd like to take your word for it, I'm not going to believe it until it happens.”

Hijikata grumbled and touched the bump on his head. It felt like a knob just over his left eyebrow and he couldn't feel a gash, so the rock hadn't managed to break skin. He was definitely coming back into himself now because white hot embarrassment began prickling at his skin and it was so mortifying that hitting his head on a rock again just to escape the situation didn't seem like such a bad idea.

“Why's he turning a funny color?”

“Nope!” Gintoki said haltingly and threw his weight forward to get a hand on her and pluck her off his back. “Tama, will you take her inside?”

“Of the two of us, I don't think I'm the one that should be leaving. The two of you can't seem to be left alone together without ending up either unconscious or bleeding.”

“Just give us a bit, okay?”

She cradled the fussing girl in her arms and after watching Gintoki a moment longer, Tama got up with obvious reluctance.

“I'll give you ten minutes.” She looked to Hijikata, saying, “Use the ice while I'm gone, I'll be able to tell if you don't.”

The instant she was out of hear-shot, Hijikata asked, “Who the hell was that girl?”

“Her name's Kagura,” Gintoki nudged at Hijikata's hand until he raised the icepack to his head, “she's one of my apprentices.”

“She stuck her tongue out at me, I feel like she learned that from you.”

“I can't confirm or deny that. And now that Tama's gone,” Gintoki held up his hand, “how many fingers do you see?”

Hijikata scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Three.”

“Phew! Okay, good!”

“So, I'm okay because I can count?”

“You can count _and_ speak, both are pretty essential things.”

“I guess,” Hijikata replied and glanced at the guards that were watching them with so much intensity that Hijikata had to look away quickly. “They don't seem to be freaking out.”

“They started to, but that got handled pretty quick.”

“What'd you do?”

Gintoki shrugged. “You can ask them later, if you want, but I don't wanna focus on that right now. Would you like to get out of the sun?”

“No, it feels good.” He shifted the icepack and scowled. “Besides, the sun gives me an excuse for the red face.”

“I'd give you some time to yourself if I could, but this is the best I can do....”

“I know,” Hijikata said and closed his eyes in the hopes that that might make him disappear.

This was so awkward, Hijikata could hardly stand it, and he dreaded to think how he was going to explain it to his brother later.

“I should apologize, too.” Gintoki shifted his weight and that was the only sign that he was as uncomfortable as Hijikata. “Had I known she was here, I would've warned you to watch out for her.”

“She runs into people often?”

“In a sense, yeah.”

“If it's all the same to you, I'd rather forget this ever happened as soon as possible. After today, we're never bringing it up ever again.” He opened his eyes to glare at Gintoki. “Got it?”

“Got it,” Gintoki affirmed. Hijikata nodded and was prepared to wait in an awkward silence for Tama to return until Gintoki suddenly asked, “What'd you to do to your fingers?”

Hijikata curled his hands. “I don't know what you're talkin' about.”

“Do you smoke?”

“No!”

“So, that's a yes.”

“No, it's a no! It's a –” Hijikata glared at Gintoki again and the smug look at the bastard's stupid face made him sigh. “I'm not supposed to smoke in front of anyone, I'm told it's unbecoming.”

“I don't give a shit about that.”

“It's not something I do very often.”

“Often or not, I don't care. From now on, feel free to bring some of your stash over and keep it here. You kinda look like you could use a smoke right now... if it'll help I could pinch some from inside? I know a few guards that smoke and Otose has a supply, too.”

“I'm good for right now... thanks.”

“I'm starting to feel like we're going to have to do all these events twice since we can't seem to do it right the first time.”

“At the bathhouse one of us will probably drown.”

Gintoki laughed shortly and rubbed the back of his neck. “And it won't even be because one of us drowned the other, it'll be something stupid like we passed out in the heat.”

“Or we can always slip in a puddle and get a concussion thanks to the fall.”

“I'll leave that one to you since you have some practice already.”

Hijikata shoved him playfully, Gintoki let him, and all the while, Gintoki's hand didn't leave Hijikata's arm. The embarrassment faded and though Hijikata wasn't looking forward to explaining what happened to his brother, this situation wasn't the worst. As for the dream... he'd worry about that later.

**To Be Continued**

 


	17. The Best Things Take Time... So Don't Rush an Apology

“I don't wanna do this!”

“Well, we're doing it! You should've thought about the consequences before you pushed him!”

Kagura let out a wail. “I didn't push him!”

“Ran into him, then.”

“I run into you all the time!”

“I'm different.”

“I didn't know he'd fall over so easy! _You_ never fall!”

Gintoki gave her hand a squeeze, saying, “In fairness, I know better than to let my guard down. Thanks to you, I'm much more aware of my surroundings at all times than I used to be.”

That got her to beam a gap-toothed grin at him, but Gintoki could only offer a wan smile in return. Yes, he was _so_ much more aware of his surroundings now, so much so that he hadn't even known Kagura was there until just before Hijikata had been rendered motionless on the ground. He sighed quietly to himself as they walked the length of the path leading to Tamegoro's houses. Gintoki had requested that they be dropped off specifically so he could reel Kagura in a bit since having to do this had hyped her up so much. She wasn't a fan of this idea, but Gintoki felt he had very little choice in the matter.

“Do I have to say sorry?”

“Yes,” he squeezed her hand again, “we practiced this, remember?”

“Yeah,” she replied glumly.

Their guards trailed behind them and when they reached the houses, there was already two people stationed there to meet them. Gintoki had made sure to give plenty of warning prior to their arrival and he was sure Hijikata liked this idea about as much as Kagura did, but considering the world they lived in, Gintoki's hands were pretty tied with it.

The two of them were greeted and led through a series of halls that Gintoki made a point to memorize just in case. There was very little talking and even Kagura was quiet, but Gintoki didn't think she felt out of place or anything. She held onto his hand and looked around curiously; Gintoki could easily imagine many different things that were going through her head and none of them were good. The only time she hesitated was when they were taken into a smaller room where Hijikata was sitting and waiting for them. He had a firm frown set on his face, but Gintoki actually got the feeling that he was trying to be pleasant... in which case he was failing.

Gintoki gave Hijikata a bow and took one of the two cushion seats across from him. Between them there was a low table that had water and some dry snacks on it, but Gintoki didn't plan on staying long at all. Kagura let go of Gintoki's hand and gave the bow she was supposed to, but it was halfhearted and sloppy. She didn't look to Gintoki for approval afterward and quickly took her seat next to him with a pout fixed on her face.

“Do you have something you want to say?” Gintoki prompted expectantly.

Kagura glared at him and her cheeks puffed out in frustration. Gintoki was both unimpressed and unmoved and as soon as Kagura realized that, Gintoki realized his own mistake.

Taking a deep breath, Kagura faced Hijikata, lowered her head, and shouted, “I'm sorry you couldn't manage to stay on your feet when I ran into you!”

Hijikata made a noise that sounded like a gargle and Gintoki's face turned to stone. He couldn't even find it in himself to reprimand her openly since that was _technically_ what she was supposed to apologize for.

“Thank you,” Hijikata said and it very distantly sounded like a question – at least, it did to Gintoki's ears.

Kagura looked to Gintoki. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Scab,” Gintoki motioned to his guard, “could you? Be wary of the windows.”

Scab took her away with one of Hijikata's guards to go with him and show him the way.

Hijikata shifted on his cushion and pinned Gintoki with a look bordering on sour. “I seem to remember a conversation where we agreed to never bring this up again.”

“And after this point it never will be, the previous conversation just got overruled by custom.”

“Ah, because custom trumps everything.”

“For the most part.”

“My brother shouldn't be much longer.”

“That's alright, I'm here to see both of you.”

“But mostly him,” Hijikata replied knowingly. He held up a hand when Gintoki went to speak and continued, “Don't say something stupid. I get it.”

“I... _do_ feel bad that these are the only hours that would work for me today.”

“You're busy, we understand.”

Kagura came running into the room giggling with Scab just behind her and it looked so much like Scab was about to make a smart comment to Gintoki. He was too good at his job to make that mistake, but Gintoki had a fleeting moment of gratification from it. That lasted until Kagura took one of the guard's knives and threatened him with it while the weapon was still in its sheath.

“I suddenly feel very tired,” Gintoki said and closed his eyes, but quickly peeked one open to watch Kagura. “At least three times my age.”

Surprisingly, Hijikata answered, “Is that your excuse for your hair?”

“You know what?” Gintoki thought about it and nodded. “Yeah. I probably gained at least... fifteen more gray hairs today.”

“How can you tell the new ones apart from the old ones?”

“I stopped trying to figure it out.”

“Then what was your original hair color?”

“Blond,” Gintoki replied and smirked, “it used to be straight, too.”

That wrung a short scoff out of Hijikata and Gintoki thought he'd cede the conversation, but instead, he asked, “When did it start to change?”

“Right around the time I understood what the word _responsibility_ meant.”

Hijikata didn't laugh, but he made a sound in the back of his throat that could quite possibly have been an amused one. Gintoki really looked at him and the bump on his head was still there, though it was very faint against his skin. He wore a soft blue yukata and his hair was raised in its usual ponytail... Gintoki found himself wondering what he looked like when his hair was down.

“She seems like a handful.”

Gintoki's mind stuttered back and his eyes snapped to Kagura as she fought off each guard in turn.

“She's way better than she used to be, her brother isn't the best influence on her at all.”

“Why do I feel as if I should know her?”

“Probably because you should definitely know who she is,” Gintoki replied and he tried to keep the shock out of his voice.

He knew he kept the surprise at bay, but he thought he failed a bit with his voice... he needed to work on that.

Hijikata frowned. “I can't place her.”

“She's from the Yato clan.”

It was downright comical how large Hijikata's eyes got when they widened, but Gintoki forced himself not to react. He just watched, wholly amused, as it dawned on Hijikata and his lips even parted when the revelation fully sank in.

“Now... it makes sense,” Hijikata said slowly. “No offense, but I can't believe they're entrusting her to you.”

Gintoki's mouth curved at one side in what he felt would be a smirk, but he had nothing to smirk about. He knew Hijikata didn't think he was good enough to be a mentor and truthfully, he thought the same. He had his reasons for becoming a mentor and taking on apprentices, but none of those reasons had to do with actual desire. Gintoki didn't think he was ready, he wasn't sure he'd ever be ready to look after any charges, but he had to do what was required of him. That Hijikata could tell that he wasn't cut out for this was a bit of a stinging blow, but it really wasn't like Gintoki didn't already know it.

“The arrangements were very carefully made,” Gintoki replied neutrally.

“Kamui is older than Kagura, so why aren't you mentoring him?”

“Being an apprentice is beneath him.”

“But not beneath his sister?”

“It's not my place to discuss their family dynamics.” Scab went to grab Kagura, but she ducked out of the way and squealed when a different guard took his knife back. She was laughing in delight at the whole charade and Gintoki swore he felt his hair gaining more silver. “Kagura, to me.”

At the call, she battered the guards away and stuck her nose up in the air haughtily. Gintoki was just glad she listened because, truth be told, she didn't always.

“He doesn't have any good snacks,” Kagura whispered after she flopped down moodily at Gintoki's side.

“We're not here to eat snacks.”

“The boss is ready to see you now,” a man announced from the door.

Gintoki looked to Kagura, asking, “Come with me or stay here?”

“Stay here!”

Nodding, he got up and patted her head with a firm, “Behave.”

Except, before he got more than two steps away, Kagura looked at Hijikata and her nose wrinkled.

“Ew,” she said without inflection and hopped up to her feet. “Wait! Coming!”

She leapt the short distance to Gintoki and latched onto his hand just as he was taking his third step. Gintoki looked over his shoulder and mouthed _sorry_ to Hijikata, but that didn't improve the affronted look on his face. They left Hijikata behind and were taken to a room three doors down that was much larger and twice as extravagant. On the far right there was a long table laden with various foods and two separate decanters stood as centerpieces.

“I hate to rush this, but I must be on my way out.” Tamegoro strode forward as Gintoki humbly lowered his head and Tamegoro glanced down at Kagura. “So, this is the culprit?”

“It is.” She hid halfway behind Gintoki's leg and he didn't force her to come out. “It was an honest accident, she didn't mean any harm.”

“Think nothing of it,” Tamegoro replied and Gintoki caught himself before he frowned. “There's no harm done, so would you like to redo showing him around or would moving onto the next step be better for you?”

“I don't see any need to rush,” Gintoki found himself saying. “I'll think about it and send word after I'd discussed things with Otose.”

“Very well, thank you for taking the time to stop by. Next time we meet, hopefully we can have a longer discussion.”

“Yes, I'd like that. Thank you for taking the time to see me on such short notice.”

Gintoki dismissed himself as he was meant to and he got Kagura to say goodbye as well, but he didn't feel right. Something felt off and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Tamegoro obviously wanted this union to happen and quickly, too, for how much he'd been pushing. There was nothing wrong with wanting that, but it seemed so strange that Hijikata's wellbeing had been so completely pushed aside. No harm done? The harm was still visible on Hijikata's forehead and Gintoki was supposed to think nothing of it?

Shaking his head, Gintoki returned to the room Hijikata was in and had a very brief conversation with him. This whole visit had merely been so he and Kagura could apologize and they'd done that, so there was no reason to linger. Gintoki didn't have the time for it, either, but he made time for this last talk. He didn't say much, just goodbye and one other thing – a thing he felt was important. Hijikata only looked confused when Gintoki left, but that was fine because he was pretty confused himself. He left as he'd arrived, with guards behind him and Kagura holding his hand, but instead of feeling relieved to have the apology done, he felt restless.

“What'd you mean when you said things are gonna be different from now on?” Kagura asked as they walked back down the path.

“I'm not sure yet,” Gintoki answered honestly, “but I'll figure it out.”

**To Be Continued**

 


	18. Devotion Alone Can Give a Bad Situation a Whole New Meaning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otose, without realizing it, changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGA!!! I hope it's a great day for you, I absolutely love you! Thank you for everything and here's to another year together <3333

Hijikata wasn't sure if this was a good idea and there was a certain amount of dread in his stomach, but he didn't let that stop him. Not even the thought of potentially getting in trouble for this, should it backfire, was enough to get him to turn back. He'd paused a bunch of times and he'd been second guessing himself the whole time, but still, he kept going.

Which brought him right to Gintoki's doors.

Technically, everything belonged to the Terada name, but Hijikata associated it slightly more with Gintoki only because that was who he saw more. Also because Gintoki obviously played a very active part within the clan and likely did a majority of the responsibilities already. Hijikata still wasn't over the fact that Gintoki had apprentices at his age. Hijikata should have accepted that by now, but he had so many doubts about Gintoki's abilities and so much of Gintoki was unknown, it was impossible to gauge him properly.

Hijikata had been intercepted by a guard on his way to the house and someone had been sent ahead so that there would be a host to greet him. He had his own guards with him, but the two were more his brother's than his own. He knew they'd tell Tamegoro everything right away and while he shouldn't care about that, it was substantially irksome regardless.

When he reached the front doors, he didn't have to knock and he did his absolute best to pretend like he fully expected the doors to open for him as they did. This kind of treatment was more often directed at his brother and Hijikata wasn't used to being the recipient by himself. He walked through the doors and no sooner had he passed the threshold did Terada Ayano in the flesh appear through a door on the right.

“Sorry if I'm intruding,” Hijikata said and bowed at the waist.

“Is something wrong? We weren't expecting you.”

“No, everything's fine. I was just wondering if maybe I could see...” he quickly flipped through all the names he had for Gintoki and settled on, “Sakata-san?”

“Of course, he's your intended, you don't have to ask to see him. He's...” she paused and looked to a guard on her left, “where _is_ that prodigal son of mine?”

“Haven't a clue, boss.”

“His bodyguards are where?”

“Looking for him, too, most likely.”

She hummed disapprovingly and beckoned Hijikata with her hand. “Come, there's a few places he could be.”

Hijikata went with her and the silence, broken only by their feet against the wood floor, wasn't something he could handle. The awkwardness of it, of _him_ walking through the house like it was commonplace with someone like _Terada Ayano_ , was too much.

“I apologize if I interrupted you from something important.”

“Nonsense. It was about time I got up to stretch.”

“That's... good then.” His fingers drummed against his thigh as they walked and she glanced into a room they passed. “Uhm, if you don't mind me asking, how would you prefer I address you?”

“Any way you'd like,” she replied. “Otose is fine, if you're comfortable with it.”

“That's so informal....”

“Do you plan on being formal with me every single day after you move in?”

“N – yes? I hadn't thought that far ahead.”

“Just keep in mind that formality isn't for family in this house.” Hijikata's throat constricted unexpectedly and he swallowed against it. Thankfully, Otose didn't dwell on the subject and continued, “I hope nothing unfortunate happened in the visit yesterday.”

“No, it went fine.” She glanced at him with a raised brow. “You don't believe me?”

“I do,” she said simply and with confidence. “He would never do something uncalled for, but he has a distinct and frustrating knack for finding the small shady area between called for and uncalled for, too.”

“That honestly makes a lot of sense... has he always been the way he is?”

“Has he always been such a brat? Yes, very much so. When he was younger, he used to run up and down these halls half-naked and he'd challenge everyone that walked by.” She laughed drily and shooed her guards back so they'd walk further behind them. “He'd let them go unharmed if they gave him the candy he required as fee.”

“Candy?”

“Consists of at least half his diet. He was an impossible child to put to bed at night.”

“Oh, I thought... ah, no. Never mind.”

“Thought what?” She glanced at him and seemed to garner what she needed to know from that. “That he was older when I took him on as my heir?”

“Something like that.”

“I appreciate your politeness on the subject, but you don't need to skirt around it. Your engagement has been solidified thanks to that attack, so neither Gintoki nor myself will have any qualm discussing his upbringing with you if it's of interest to you.”

“There are so many rumors surrounding him, it's difficult to tell which are true.”

“That's why you ask.”

Hijikata bit his lip and much to his own chagrin, he was excited. No one really _knew_ anything about Gintoki, his appearance in the Terada household was so sudden and his ascension to heir was so rapid that the rumors flew. Gintoki's reputation grew on itself over time and the tales continued with the inclusion of his friends. Hijikata had thought it was all made up, but spending time with Gintoki was actually giving the rumors an alarming amount of merit.

Even if Hijikata hadn't paid much attention to any of it, just asking a few people around his own compound filled in any gaps he'd been missing. Everyone thought they knew something about Gintoki – a story or a rumor, it didn't matter. None of them had the ability to freely interact with Gintoki or Otose to find out the truth, but Hijikata did and it'd be a shame to waste it.

“So... running around half-naked and charging people candy, how long ago was that? Sounds like something that might've happened yesterday.”

Otose's laugh shocked Hijikata enough for him to misstep, but he didn't lose his balance or make it too obvious that the sound, though not unpleasant, startled him.

“That's the spirit,” she commended pleasantly. “I allowed him to stay here when he was ten and I adopted him and made him my heir when he was eleven. Damn brat was only ever supposed to be trained as a guard. It took me less than a year to want to make him more than that.”

There were so many questions Hijikata wanted to ask and he didn't know where to start. Why less than a year? What had Gintoki done to make Otose want him as an _heir_? He was only eleven, he couldn't have done something _that_ amazing, but if he had, then what could it have been?

“Where did he come from?”

“That's one you should ask him if you really want to know.”

“Okay... then I guess my next question would be why him? He's unlike any yakuza I've ever come across.”

A small smile, so fond that Hijikata looked down at his feet, touched Otose's lips. “Very true. He's unpredictable and lazy, he slips away from his guards, he's a pain in the ass, he has a small group of pathologically deranged friends, why would I want this red eyed delinquent child as my heir?”

She gave him a look that demanded an answer and he sputtered, “Err, I don't – maybe because he... did s-something to earn it?”

“Bah! Eat all the dango in the building, perhaps! I'm surprised you had to ask, most people figure it out pretty quick.” He grimaced and Otose reprimanded, “Don't make that face. You don't know him yet and the few times you've met with him, there have been complications for most of them, so I wouldn't think it's as plain to you as it might be to others.”

“Then what am I missing?”

“Simply put, Gintoki is good at a lot of things. One particular thing is that he can make it very difficult to tell what he's thinking. If you've struggled with this, then know you're not the first or the last to have the experience. He seals himself away from others, even me, and he has always been this way. However, he has never been able to hide the fact that he loves me.” She stopped and Hijikata stopped with her. “I didn't choose him just because he was a charming child with staggering potential that cared for me and I didn't choose him because he was deadly even at the age of ten and I do mean _deadly_. There were circumstances that led me to make him my heir, but that story is one for another time, if you'd like to hear it.”

“I would,” Hijikata answered and meant it.

“Good.” Otose stared Hijikata down and he did his best to hold her penetrating gaze. He wasn't a pushover by any means, but it was different with Otose. She wasn't a menacing woman, but she was strong in terms of presence and it was easy to see how she had individually held a seat of power at the head of the house for so long. “There's something you need to know.”

“Yes?”

“Everything Gintoki does, he does it for me. Asking him for this marriage knowing how quickly he'd agree was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do and I don't say that lightly. You're welcome here, you may think of these grounds as your own, but I've never had to share Gintoki before and I'm not sure how good I'll be at it. He's my son as if he were born to me and I'll protect him as any mother would if it comes to that. Do you understand?”

Something seeped into Hijikata just then and it was so powerful that he felt bumps erupt all over his arms as a chill ran down his spine. It wasn't a bad chill... it was shockingly quite the opposite. He wasn't scared of what Otose was saying and he understood perfectly well what she was implying, but most of what he felt was _want_. There was jealousy, too, and a mixture of things that made him uneasy, but they all fell to the wayside compared to the emotion at the forefront. He would never be able to explain it, but in that moment, this marriage was suddenly something he wanted to grab a hold of with both hands and not let go.

“Yes, I understand.”

Otose nodded and got them walking again. There wasn't anymore talking as they went through a few different halls and the chill that had crept over Hijikata passed. The feeling lingered and it kept his heart racing. He was being foolish, but the bond between Gintoki and Otose was something that got him going. He and his brother used to have something like that and it was only now that Hijikata was realizing just how drastically things had changed between them over the years. He hadn't known how much he'd been missing it until he was faced with something like it and he _wanted it back_. He wanted this, whatever Gintoki and Otose had – their devotion to each other, their unerring protectiveness, and everything that came with it.

Hijikata's dream came back to him and he remembered how comfortable he'd been. Chaos had been going on around him with all the fighting, but his heart had been beating steadily as he'd waited for Gintoki. He'd trusted Gintoki and he'd felt indestructible. He wasn't sure he could have it or if he and Gintoki could even make things work to get a solid connection between them, but Hijikata's heart was beating wildly at the thought and he wanted to try.

He didn't just want Gintoki's devotion, though. He wanted to earn it and he wanted to make Gintoki want everything he could offer as well. It had been so many years since Hijikata had felt this kind of ambition and it was definitely a lot to take in all at once. He'd been looking at this marriage all wrong, apparently, and Otose had just unwittingly changed his entire perspective with her love for Gintoki. Hijikata was insatiably curious about their bond and what it entailed, but he couldn't ask that just yet, it wasn't the time.

“This seems promising,” Otose said, startling Hijikata once more, just as the sound of fighting could be heard nearby. She knocked on a door they walked up to and called, “Cover up those tattoos if they're visible, you have a visitor!”

The sounds that came from the room after that were interesting ones and Otose rolled here eyes. There were a lot of thuds, more than one yelp, streams of hushed voices, a burst of laughter, and some clattering that didn't sound like it belonged. Hijikata slid his arms into the sleeves of his gold hued yukata and he hoped his ponytail hadn't come loose or anything during the trek over.

“All clear!”

Otose opened the door and Hijikata peered inside to see three people staring back. He tried not to seem too interested, but that was impossible because Hijikata was _sure_ the other two people in the room were a couple of Gintoki's friends. All three of them were pretty roughed up, each was bleeding in some way, and the room itself smelled like sweat, but Hijikata didn't honestly care about that.

“Ah! I didn't know you'd be coming!” Gintoki blurted and he sounded genuinely apologetic as he dipped into the appropriate bow.

Otose held up a hand and everyone's attention went to her. “Where are your guards?”

“By now they're probably outside, I'd think. We've been in here for over an hour, if they can't find me in that amount of time, then I need new guards.”

The taller and familiar guy just behind Gintoki laughed until Otose shot him a look that would make flowers wither.

“Don't think this is the last of this conversation.”

“Feel free to reprimand him,” the third guy said from where he sat on a bench as he smiled and brushed his longer hair back over his shoulder. “There's never a need to hold back on our account, you know that.”

“I don't care about you two, but there's one person here that matters.”

“Awww,” the taller one cooed, “I knew you liked me!”

Gintoki sniggered and the third guy laughed softly behind his hand. Both of Gintoki's friends were watching Hijikata, subtly studying him, and the back of his neck prickled under their scrutiny. He'd just opened the door on a room of predators, but what they didn't know yet was that Hijikata was a predator, too.

It wasn't going to be easy proving that to them, but Hijikata was up to the challenge.

**To Be Continued**

 


	19. The Greatest Love Stories Begin With the Strongest Friendships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slight recap chapter before things really start progressing =u=

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday from me to me! I'd been meaning to update this for a long time and just... didn't. So I told myself I'd update it on my birthday and then have more regular updates for it from here on out. Sorry for the wait and hope you enjoy!

“I can take it from here,” Gintoki said to Otose and she sniffed.

“I'll leave when I'm escorting those two idiots out of here.”

Sakamoto and Katsura looked at each other.

“Is she talking about us?” Sakamoto asked.

“Well, she wouldn't call Gintoki's intended an idiot, would she?”

“She was calling us idiots the first time she met us, so... yeah.”

“To be fair,” Gintoki said, “you killed a perfectly good door the first day you were here.”

Katsura frowned. “To be even more fair to the situation, that particular door should never have been closed to begin with.”

“You can't kill a door,” Sakamoto added.

“You murdered it in cold blood and that's why you two were named idiots from day one,” Gintoki said with finality. “Introduce yourselves and take off, would ya?”

“Not sure they need to introduce themselves,” Hijikata said and his shoulders were so stiff that it was difficult to breathe normally. He put on a good face, like he had the situation totally under control, but his insides were tightly knotted. “The Rampaging Noble and the Dragon of Katsurahama, if I'm not mistaken.”

In the sleeves of his yukata where no one could see, he dug his nails into the skin of his arms. They didn't intimidate him, he'd take either of them on if he needed to, but he'd never really been in a position where he needed people like this to actually _like_ him. Most people didn't like him and not just because of his stature as a bastard. Plus, there was so much surrounding their names already and Hijikata had nothing to his name at all, except that he was a permy bastard's betrothed.

Gintoki nodded. “Those are one name for them, I guess. Rumor has it you've already met the loud fellow.”

“I'd hardly call it a meeting.”

“The other guy here is Zura.”

“It's not Zura, it's Katsura!”

“It's easy to tell which is which,” Gintoki continued and Sakamoto laughed loudly.

“Let's go, you two,” Otose said sternly.

“You'll be seeing plenty of us, don't worry,” Sakamoto said to Hijikata with a large smile that was so big he had to close his eyes.

There was something sinister about the smile, like an underlying warning in a smile that was much too vibrant and showed too much teeth. Hijikata didn't skirt away as Sakamoto passed him, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't inclined to do just that.

Katsura lingered a moment, watching Hijikata, then he moved toward the door as well with a glance at Gintoki. They seemed to have an unspoken conversation between them and Hijikata only noticed because Gintoki's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly and Katsura frowned. Without looking at Hijikata, Katsura swept through doorway with an artistic flip of his hair and the door snapped closed behind him. They started talking to Otose right away and their footsteps and voices retreated until they were so distant they could barely be heard.

“You need to know that if the old hag hadn't been here, that would have gone differently.”

Hijikata shrugged like the prospect didn't bother him and replied, “I guessed as much. Since they're your friends, I automatically consider them at least half as insane as you are.”

“That's not a bad way to look at it,” Gintoki said and even smiled a little. “Did they impress you?”

“Not really and I still can't believe you thought they might.” Gintoki scoffed and cracked a very real smile. “Are there any apprentices here today?”

“No, and all the guards are under strict order to inform me if one does show up.”

“I don't plan on getting caught on my heels again.” Hijikata slowly raised an eyebrow. “But how can the guards tell you anything if they don't know where you are?”

“Don't do that,” Gintoki said and made a face. “You sound like everyone else.”

“It was just a question.”

“A question you don't need to be asking. Now, what brings you here?”

“My brother told me what you said to him about moving onto the next part of all this or finishing the part where you show me around. Once he told me, I decided that I wanted you to finish showing me around. I should've asked before coming here, but I still don't know where I fall in the order of things with all this, so I made up my mind and came over.”

“I'm glad you did.”

“You are?”

“Yeah, today is a good day to finish the grand tour. I have a meeting later, but that's hours from now.”

“And you were just going to spar in here until then?”

“Pretty much.”

“That sounds like a nice way to spend your day, but could you at least do something about your hand? I don't want anyone to think I did that.”

“Huh?” Gintoki looked at his hands and laughed as he lifted his right one higher to get a better look at it. “Oh! Yeah, let me just....”

He wiped his bleeding hand on his clothes and grabbed a roll of bandages that was sitting off to the side on the floor. Hijikata got the impression that that was there specifically for instances like this one, which made him wonder just how aggressively Gintoki sparred with his friends. The other two had been cut as well, one with a small gash on his neck and the other with a faint blood stain on his shoulder, so it wasn't a stretch to say that they probably didn't go easy on each other at all. It'd be fun to watch them and just thinking about it made Hijikata's fingers twitch eagerly where they were still hidden.

“There,” Gintoki said and held out his wrapped hand, “better?”

Hijikata nodded. “So, this is the indoor dojo you'd been telling me about?”

Gintoki spread his arms wide. “Yup, this is it!”

“It's nice.”

“Told ya! And, hey, come over here.” He led Hijikata through a small door adjacent to the one Hijikata had entered through and within the newly revealed room was an array of weapons. They lined the walls on every side and they ranged all over in both size and type. “That collection of knives I was telling you about is in here.”

“Given our history, I'm not sure you should be showing me this yet.”

“We're through our stabbing phase, I think.”

Hijikata moved closer to Gintoki and studied the set of knives in front of him. The handles were all hand carved and made of precious stone while the blades, made of a dark metal, glinted ominously in the light. He was tempted to pick one up and inspect it, as he'd never seen knives quite like this before, but he abstained. He looked at each one, then moved onto one wall and the following ones to see each weapon on display.

“Do you like to spar?” Gintoki asked.

“Yes,” Hijikata replied immediately and he knew he wasn't imagining the sound of Gintoki's relief.

“We need to do that then... once people think we actually _can_ do it without trying to dismember each other.”

“Sounds good...” Hijikata said quietly. He finished his circuit of the room and stood across from Gintoki. “It's really okay if I stop by like this?”

“Come by any time! I bet the old hag already said that, but I'm gonna say it again anyway.”

“I'm asking _you_.”

“I don't mind,” Gintoki replied. “I might be busy with other things sometimes, but if you're fine waiting, then I'm fine with you being here. The way I see it, I'm kinda on the lucky side of all this. I don't have to pack up all my shit, leave everyone behind, and move someplace new and unfamiliar. When I met with your brother, I told him that I didn't think any of this needed to be rushed. I don't know if he told you that, but I think we should move along with this as quickly or slowly as we want. If you're not comfortable moving onto the next ceremony and you want to spend more time here, then that's what we'll do.”

“I'm not sure that's customary.”

“Custom says that all this is yours once we marry and I don't see a problem with you getting used to it first.”

Hijikata's nails were once more digging into his skin.

“At some point, I'd like for you to see my home as well.”

“We could do that today, if you want.”

“ _Today_? No, I mean, I didn't come here to take you over there.”

“Like I told you, I'm free until that meeting and if it's important to you, then we should do it sooner instead of later.”

“I'd have to talk to my brother first, so not today, but soon.”

“I'd like that.”

“Would you or are you just saying that because you think it's what I want to hear?”

Gintoki motioned to the room. “Look around here again and tell me what you see.”

After a brief hesitation, Hijikata turned in a slow circle, but didn't answer right away. He saw all the weapons, the length of the room, the trappings on the walls where the items were fastened, and the door leading back out into the actual dojo. As he completed his turn, he realized what Gintoki meant and he felt his skin warm.

“There are no guards.”

“Right,” Gintoki said and he seemed pleased, which made Hijikata's skin warm all that much faster. “It's just us, there's no one in here for me to play the gracious host in front of. I'm not even good at being a host or doing all this proper shit, I just do it because I have to.” Hijikata remained silent and Gintoki sighed. “Do you remember what I said after the whole bomb thing? About starting over?”

-o-O-o-

_“I don't know how to make things right,” Hijikata admitted softly and that admission cost him greatly._

_“_ _About that, listen,” Gintoki said quickly, “I know neither of us are really... thrilled about this arrangement, but there's nothing I won't do for Ba-san or my clan. She wants me to marry you, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do. But that's not... I mean, I'm not just doing it to do it. I'm a bit of a loose canon and I know I'll annoy you plenty, but I'll be committed to you. I'll protect you with everything I've got, I'll be faithful to you, and I'll be good to you.” Gintoki grimaced. “As good as I can be, anyway, I'm kind of an asshole.” He grimaced again. “Not that you don't already know that. Ah, I'll get pissed off sometimes and other times I'll disappear, but that's just how I am, I guess? It'll be rough from time to time, but I'm sure we can make something work.” He paused and tilted his head in thought. “Especially since we sorta, you know,_ _have_ _to.”_

_Hijikata was left gaping. “I – I –”_

_“Let's start over,” Gintoki offered, pinning Hijikata with an unreadable look._

_“Haah? A-all the way over?”_

_Gintoki nodded. “From the beginning, clean slate. Let's do that whole dinner again without the dramatic cutting me thing and let's forget the disaster that happened after that ever happened.”_

_“That –” Hijikata cut himself off to huff and collect himself. “That seems too easy.”_

_“Don't care,” Gintoki chirped with a shrug that made him glare briefly at his shoulder. “What do you say?”_

_Already flushed up to his ears from Gintoki's_ _ridiculous_ _speech, Hijikata nodded jerkily, his hands wringing in his lap._

_“Okay.”_

-o-O-o-

“Yeah....”

He'd thought about it more often than he wanted to admit.

“Clean slate,” Gintoki reiterated. “My situation is different than yours, so maybe I've just had more time to come to terms with it, but we're going to get married and there's no way around that.” He took a pause to seemingly find the right words and so Hijikata didn't interrupt. “Try to be friends with me first. Come here, talk to me, do with me what you do with your friends. We don't want this and this situation isn't really our choice, but that's no reason for either of us to be unhappy forever. I won't bullshit you, so when I say I'd like to see where you're from, I mean it, you got that?”

“No bullshit?”

“None.”

“So, if at any point I think you're being an asshole, I can just tell you that?”

“Absolutely! And I'll gladly tell you to fuck off.”

A laugh was startled out of Hijikata and his fingers relaxed, releasing the abused skin of his arms, and the tension left his shoulders.

“It still seems too easy.”

“And I still don't care.”

“In that case... finish showing me around. I think we left off in a garden maybe? Wherever it was that my face unexpectedly met a rock.”

Gintoki smiled and grandiosely gestured to the door with his arm. “Right this way! You won't have that problem again, we had the rock executed after the offense.”

At that, Hijikata was smiling with him and as the tour went on, he began to think that maybe this was a place he could get used to.

**To Be Continued**

 


	20. When Planning Anything, Always Consider the Worst Case Scenario

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata plans for a meeting with Gintoki and he plans it go very, very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Aga! I'm so proud and honored to have had you in my life so far and I am soooo looking forward to having you in the years to come! You're so uplifting and creative, you inspire me so much! I love talking to you and you truly mean so much to me! Can't wait to make more memories with you!

Hijikata wiped some sweat out of his eyes and panted to get his breath back. His muscles ached and it felt like he'd be falling over before too long, but he had to keep going. Every time he thought about taking a break, he saw a feral smile and he _still_ didn't know what it was about that smile, but he couldn't get it out of his head. Otose had knowingly protected him that day and soon, Hijikata would have to face Gintoki's friends on his own, so he wanted to be ready. He could do it... but it wouldn't hurt to bump up his training regime and keep going until he could barely move.

He also remembered something else: _The only reason you're still able to stand is because I made a promise to Ba-san that I wouldn't hit you._

He'd briefly had a row with Gintoki and Hijikata hadn't been able to hit him. He wanted to fight Gintoki properly and see how it went, but he also wanted to be better prepared for that so he wouldn't make a fool of himself. Hijikata had thought many times of what it'd be like to spar Gintoki and he wanted so much to do it... just not yet. With all the prestige Gintoki's name held, Hijikata found himself thinking of a spar with Gintoki as some kind of test and he wanted to pass it.

“Can we go again?” Hijikata asked and Kondo laughed.

“You're more determined than usual!”

“I need to get better.”

“There are some things you can't rush.”

“I'm not trying to rush! I just want to get better faster.”

Kondo laughed again and picked his bokken up again so that they could commence. Hijikata had known Kondo for as long as he could remember, but would that all come to an end? If he got married and had to leave, would he never be able to spar like this with Kondo or spend time with him? Would he have a whole new trainer and would that person only be there to keep an eye on him and track his movements? If he wanted Kondo to continue being his trainer, could that be worked out? His stomach soured at the idea of having to ask permission for everything and he'd have to get approval for anything he wanted to do.

“You're getting distracted,” Kondo said as he easily knocked Hijikata back. “You can't do that in the middle of a fight.”

“Sorry, something just occurred to me.” He touched the tip of his training sword to the floor to signal that they were taking a pause and he wiped sweat off his brow with the back of his other hand. “What's gonna happen to you once I have to move? Will you come with me?”

“I was wondering when this would come up,” Kondo said and smiled reassuringly. “I work for your brother and you know I train more people than just you here, but it would be my pleasure to continue your training if Terada Ayano will allow me to. I'd need her approval and the approval of her heir as well.”

“I'd be living there and I'd be the heir's... _partner_ , so wouldn't you just need my permission?”

Kondo laughed. “In a clan like that one? No, you'll need to run it by them first. They've got their own trainers and masters that live there and since I'd still work for your brother, I'd need to have some sort of immunity that would allow me to enter and walk around without raising suspicion.”

“That all makes sense,” Hijikata replied and sighed.

“I'm sure they'll allow it if –”

“I don't think anything is a sure thing,” Hijikata interrupted, frustrated. “They don't have to give me anything once I'm there and I know you've heard all about how I stabbed him! I don't wanna have to ask permission for everything and what if they say no? I don't want a new trainer! And if I did get a new one, he or she would probably treat me like shit because I'm positive everyone in that clan hates me for what I did to their precious heir!”

“It's a tricky situation and I can't speak for how they feel, but if there's any way for us to work something out so I can continue being your trainer, then we'll find it and we'll work something out.” He smiled and that alone made Hijikata feel a little bit better. “I was wondering when you were going to start talking to me about this.”

Hijikata looked away and his face colored. He enjoyed all his time with Kondo, but he'd definitely been keeping his distance lately and he'd even rescheduled their sessions to avoid him as long as possible.

“I'm so ashamed of how I behaved, I didn't want to say anything or face you. You never trained me to stab someone like that, especially when they're unarmed.” He cleared his throat and kept his eyes away from Kondo. “I've learned so much from you and you've taught me to be a better person than I was on that day.”

“Seems like you've already learned your lesson,” Kondo said warmly and Hijikata looked at him. “I'm not angry with you for what happened. I was disappointed because I know you're better than that,” Hijikata flinched, “but I know what your upbringing was like and so I understand what you'd been thinking at the time. You made your mistake and the important thing is that you learned from it. How have things been going since then?”

“Better, I guess,” Hijikata said and grasped at the change of topic before his head exploded from the heat in his cheeks. “Things are weird, but we're... talking.”

“You and Sakata-sama?”

“Don't call him that, it sounds weird.”

“He's heir to one of the richest and most respected clans in history, what do you expect me to call him?” Kondo asked, laughing.

“His name? I don't know! Just not that!”

“What do you call him?”

“Natural perm, sometimes, and bastard other times.”

Kondo leaned forward in astonishment. “And he doesn't mind?”

“Doesn't seem to and he wants to come here.”

“He does?”

“I mentioned I wanted to show him where I live and he said he wanted to see it,” Hijikata said and shrugged.

“You need to invite him over right away,” Kondo advised. “Let him see your life and the things you do. If you want, I can make myself available so that I can officially meet him while he's here. That way, when it comes time for you to ask for things you want, it might be easier for him to approve those things and convince the boss to approve them as well. It'll only work in your favor to let him see all of this and I'd say that him wanting to put in the effort to come here means that things are going even _better_ than you think.”

Hijikata gripped his wooden training sword tighter and asked sheepishly, “You have anymore advice about this stuff? I could really use it right about now.”

“Of course! But I'll only reward you with it if you train well.”

Hijikata quickly lifted his sword and readied himself to spar.

-o-O-o-

Two days later found Hijikata trapped in a lecture about finances for his studies. He was acting present, but his mind had drifted and anxiousness was settled deep in his stomach. True to Kondo's advice, Hijikata had sent Gintoki an invitation that night and he'd received a reply the next day. _Today_ was the day Gintoki had agreed to come over and Hijikata had chosen this day for a specific reason: his brother wasn't going to be around. That was one of the things he'd talked about with Kondo and having Tamegoro in the house would only add extra stress to an already stressful situation.

Hijikata had the whole visit planned out and he was going to handle everything correctly. There wasn't going to be any mishaps and though he dreaded this, he was also looking forward to it. When he'd gone through everything with Kondo, he'd made it all sound so good and doable. Now that the day had come that Hijikata would actually have to do it, he wasn't so sure he could accomplish it.

Regardless, he had his outfit picked out and waiting for him and while his instructor spoke, he went over everything in his head. Every scenario he could imagine came to mind and he thought of the best solutions to each one. He was so determined for today to go well and he'd alerted the necessary people that would help him have a successful visit. He'd covered all his bases, he was sure of it, but there was so much trepidation inside him that he couldn't feel fully confident about it.

“Have you been listening to a word I've said?”

“Yes!”

His instructor, Saburou, a man three times Hijikata's age, glared at him and growled, “You'd better be. I'm much too prestigious to be wasting time on a bastard and you know it, so pay attention!”

Hijikata bit his tongue and forced himself to nod. He couldn't let this ruin his mood because then it'd carry over into his meeting with Gintoki and that was _not_ allowed to happen. So, the lesson continued and Hijikata did his best to pay attention to the mindless droning of Saburou's voice. He took notes as well, mostly to make it seem like he was really listening, and he got his hand smacked a few times when his handwriting started to get a little sloppy. On and on it went and Saburou was unfortunately in a worse temperament than usual. The snide remarks were easy enough to ignore since Hijikata was used to them, but each one still shook Hijikata's morale.

“That's enough for today,” Saburou said after going through a few more long-winded topics. “I doubt you understood most of that, so we'll go through them again in your next lesson.”

“Thank you for your time,” Hijikata said monotonously.

He gathered his things and before he left, he bowed as he was expected to. It was a shallow bow and Hijikata hated doing it, but his brother would hear about it if he didn't do it and that was a conversation Hijikata didn't want to have... again. He'd pushed his brother to the limit and Hijikata didn't want to think about the fallout when Tamegoro found out about Gintoki coming over today. They'd probably get in a fight, but that was another scene Hijikata had thought over carefully and he was more certain he could handle that than his meeting with Gintoki.

Hijikata left the lecture room and the guard standing outside the door... was not the one that had been there when he'd gone in. His stomach sank and he looked around, but there was no sign of anyone else.

“What happened to Chiko?”

“Are you dumb? Changeover was ten minutes ago.”

Hijikata shook his head. “No, wait, it can't be that late already.”

“Did they not teach you how to tell time?”

“They did,” Hijikata snapped. “I'm expecting someone –”

“Yeah, we know. He's here.”

“He's already here?” Hijikata blurted loudly. “Where?”

“Courtyard, maybe.”

Yelling, Hijikata took off sprinting down the hallway and threw his notebooks into an open closet when he passed it. He didn't have time to change, he probably looked like shit from being stuck in those lectures for so long, and he'd kept Gintoki waiting – this was not going according to plan at all! Panic and fresh dread gripped his throat and his feet, his _bare_ feet, thudded against the wood as he ran. He was headed for the courtyard and he hoped the guard hadn't lied to him just to send him to the wrong place. Chiko was one of the more understanding guards, Hijikata had thought Chiko would get him when Gintoki arrived, and he likely would have, but that other guard, Ebisu, he was a jackass to Hijikata all the time, he'd never help Hijikata like that.

Hall after hall, Hijikata ran down them and cussed under his breath. His only solace was that the guard changeover couldn't have been that long ago, which meant Gintoki couldn't have been left on his own too long. The courtyard was nearby and suddenly, he heard the echo of familiar laughter and panic absolutely filled him.

“No, no, no, no,” Hijikata chanted frantically under his breath and ran faster.

He came to a rigid stop just around the corner of the courtyard and took a moment to try and make himself at least halfway presentable. He caught his breath as well and then lost it again as Scab leered at him from around the corner.

“It's impolite to keep the young master waiting,” Scab said without inflection.

“I know, I know, I'm sorry! This wasn't supposed to happen like this!”

Scab said nothing as he disappeared out of view and Hijikata cussed again. He ran his hands over his hair and clothes, but he knew it wasn't doing any good. He heard the laughter again and he hated everything about his life in that instant. With one last deep breath, he scraped together what little courage he had left and walked around the last corner that apparently Scab was leaning against. Out in the yard, Gintoki was holding Sougo upside-down by one of his legs and to Hijikata's immense horror, they were very obviously having _fun_.

Even with all the planning and overthinking Hijikata had done, this was one scenario he definitely wasn't prepared to handle.

**To Be Continued**

 


	21. Even the Most Carefully Kept Secrets can be a Liability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gintoki figures out Hijikata's greatest secret!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays!
> 
> Mika: You are so endlessly supportive of me and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Every time I post something or do something, I always know you're going to be there cheering me on! You're such a positive influence to have in my life and I can't thank you enough for it! Can't wait to see what the new year has in store for us!

Hijikata absorbed everything before him and it was a pretty horrific scene by any standard. Gintoki was having fun with a _laughing_ Sougo and Mitsuba was standing just behind them watching over the whole thing. It was a relief to see her because she could get Sougo out of there, but he also didn't want her around when Gintoki was visiting. He was dressed modestly in a dark blue yukata that had an intrinsic giant koi that swam up along his back. Rubbing his face with a hand, Hijikata walked toward the courtyard and he did nothing to hide his irritation.

“The wedding is off!”

Everyone in the vicinity reacted to that in some way, but Hijikata ignored them.

“Why?” Gintoki asked.

“You're fraternizing with the enemy!”

Gintoki lifted Sougo higher. “This is a kid.”

“He's an enemy.”

Sougo stuck his tongue out at Hijikata and Gintoki perked up. He lifted Sougo higher and it was a little disgusting that Gintoki could lift a kid of Sougo's size with _one arm_ like it was nothing. He shook Sougo so he swayed back and forth and in doing so, Sougo could go from looking at Hijikata, to looking back at Gintoki as he swung.

“You don't look like an enemy to me.”

“I'm not an enemy to _you_ ,” Sougo said and kicked his free leg.

Hijikata reached them and made sure to stay far enough away that he couldn't be kicked or spat on. He crossed his arms and glared at Gintoki, challenging him to make the right decision.

“Listen,” Gintoki began, “according to the sanctity of marriage, it'll be my duty to help you shoulder your problems – blah, blah, all that stuff. I just want to establish right now that this problem,” he jostled Sougo, “is yours and I won't be making it my responsibility.”

Hijikata glared harder and he had to hand it to Gintoki, he was getting better at reading a situation. After a moment, Gintoki swung Sougo up and set him down so he had his feet under him. Gintoki leaned down and whispered something softly into Sougo's ear. Sougo listened, smiled, and when Gintoki stood upright again, Sougo took off out of the yard. Never should Sougo ever look that delighted because whenever he was, it usually meant Hijikata was in for some hell.

“See, that right there,” Hijikata snapped, “that's the kinda shit that can't be happening.”

“Don't get so worked up about him, he's just a kid.”

“You don't know him like I do and you're not allowed to tell me what to do. Why were you even talking to him?”

“You weren't here! I asked for you, but you never appeared! Then Okita-kun showed up and his sister followed shortly after... what was I _supposed_ to do?”

Hijikata shook his head. “Never mind. Sorry to have kept you waiting, that wasn't my intention.”

“I don't mind, it gave me a chance see some of the grounds.” Gintoki looked down and raised a brow at Hijikata's feet. “Your feet are getting dirty out here.”

“Yeah, I've had a weird morning and I need to go change. Are you... good out here for a few more minutes?”

“I'll be right back,” Hijikata replied and glanced at Mitsuba, who nodded.

Hijikata walked back the way he'd come and as soon as he was out of everyone's sight, he was running. He sprinted to his room, changed his clothes in record time, put on some fucking sandals, did _something_ with his hair that he hoped made it look passable, and ran right back to the yard. When he got there, Mitsuba was waiting for him and Gintoki was in the center of the yard talking quietly with Scab.

“After all the things you said, I expected a much different kind of person,” Mitsuba said as Hijikata stopped beside her.

“Don't let him fool you. He's good at fooling people.”

“I'm not sure you can fake being good with kids like my brother.”

Hijikata said nothing and when he glanced at Mitsuba, she was watching him. The look was so warm and genuine, like she was really happy for him. Maybe convincing herself that Gintoki was a good person somehow made all this easier for her. Suddenly unable to look at her, he walked out toward Gintoki and forced himself not to look back.

Just as Hijikata reached Gintoki, Sougo ran back into the yard and sprinted straight for Gintoki. He didn't slow down and instead just used Gintoki's thigh as a way to stop himself. Sougo was definitely still a kid and his head came up to about the height of Gintoki's hip, maybe just a little higher depending on how fluffed up Sougo's hair was. Regardless, being barreled into by someone of that size should have at least made Gintoki shift his weight or grunt, but he did neither and didn't seem at all bothered by the collision. It made Hijikata wonder if Gintoki was actually used to being run into like that – as he'd claimed about Kagura – or if he was just built or trained to withstand such things.

“I think I found them!”

Gintoki knelt down on one knee. “Open up, let's see what you've got.”

Sougo fished in his yukata and pulled out handfuls of cloth napkins wrapped around... Hijikata leaned in closer and he tsk-ed.

“You sent him off to get you _sweets_?”

“It'd be rude to go do it myself,” Gintoki replied and off to the side, Mitsuba tried and failed to smother a laugh. “You're so worried I'm going to use him against you for something evil, but not everything is about you, you know.”

“You could've just asked for some!”

“I did!” Gintoki said and patted Sougo on the head meaningfully.

Hijikata deadpanned. “You know damn well I meant ask a guard like a normal person, not ask a child to fill his pockets and come scampering back to you like he's your own personal servant.”

“Are you my personal servant?” Gintoki asked Sougo, who shook his head. Gintoki gave his head another pat and looked back up to Hijikata. “You're throwing around some accusations right now and you're kinda turning this into something it isn't. Do you always have such a wild imagination?”

“I see what you're doing,” Hijikata told him. “I can see right through this shit, don't even try it.”

They stared at each other long and hard until Gintoki seemed to come to a decision.

“Alright, time to divvy out the goods.” Gintoki said and stood up with the napkins in his hands. He moved some things around carefully between his fingers, then gave one of the napkins back to Sougo. “Here you go! Good work, kid!”

Sougo took the bundle and his face fell. “Wait a second! This is way less than half! What gives?”

“You can't eat your entire share all at once at your age, you'll get a stomachache. We'll need something to drink, you got any strawberry milk in this joint?”

“I'll go check!”

Hijikata watched him go and then stared at Gintoki. “You aren't actually planning on giving him anymore sweets, are you?”

“We'll see,” Gintoki replied loftily. “I wasn't lying about the stomachache thing.”

“This is the person people refer to as a demon,” Hijikata said to Mitsuba and Gintoki ate what looked like a piece of dango. “This one, right here. The one bossing your brother around for the sake of sweets.”

“That kid is spoiled rotten,” Gintoki said. “He could benefit from having a real man around.”

“ _Real_ man?” Hijikata spluttered. “You've gotta be kidding me! If I –”

“Found some!” Sougo announced and came running back.

“How did you find some so quickly?” Hijikata demanded. “We shouldn't even have that here!”

Sougo stuck his tongue out at Hijikata and then gave Gintoki the strawberry milk box.

“Do you really gotta marry _him_?” Sougo asked and gave Hijikata a disgusted look.

“Sure do!”

“So you're gonna have to... _kiss_ and stuff?”

“Yeah, we could do it right now for you. Wanna see?”

Gintoki took a step closer to Hijikata and Sougo screamed. Hijikata had never heard him scream like that before. The little sadist rarely screamed unless he wasn't getting what he wanted and this scream was unlike any other. It was the scream of true terror and horror, the kind of scream people would make when trapped within their own worst nightmare.

“No!” He slapped his hands over his eyes and shook his head. “No, please, no!”

Mitsuba walked over and offered her hand to him.

“Come on, let's leave them alone for awhile,” she said and Sougo eagerly took her hand so she could lead him away.

“Oh, darn,” Gintoki pulled out his napkin and picked a piece out, “he forgot the rest of his sweets. Guess I'll just have to eat it all for him.”

Hijikata watched Mitsuba go and his stomach felt hollow, but he quickly recovered and focused back on Gintoki.

“If you're done being a dick, I'd like to show you around.”

Gintoki stretched his arm out in a sweeping gesture. “Lead the way.”

-o-O-o-

The tour was going shockingly well and without issue – Gintoki even got Hijikata to laugh a few times. The grounds weren't huge and Hijikata couldn't tell if Gintoki was faking any of his interest in the different places or not. He definitely showed an interest in seeing Hijikata's room, but that had just been to be an asshole and Hijikata had elbowed him pretty good for it. His room wasn't part of the tour and compared to where Gintoki came from, this place was nothing, but Gintoki seemed to like it.

Again, Hijikata couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, but he _wanted_ to think Gintoki was liking what he was seeing. They were able to have conversations throughout and Gintoki asked questions from time to time like he was actually trying to learn about where Hijikata grew up. The guards remained silent and most of them didn't even glance at Hijikata, but they took an open interest in Gintoki. Hijikata tried not to let that get to him, but it was difficult and he was afraid that that showed on his face at times.

A little over halfway through the tour, a guard Hijikata wasn't overly fond of came trotting into the room and he bowed to them.

“Sorry to interrupt, but there's a Dragon at the door.”

Gintoki smirked. “That'll be for me.”

“I'll walk with you,” Hijikata offered. Gintoki had the courtesy to let Hijikata lead him to the door and Scab moved in closer since they'd be leaving. “Is everything okay?”

“I'm sure it's fine, but if he's here I need to go with him and take care of whatever it is.”

Before Hijikata could ask who, they reached the door and he frowned. Sakamoto grinned at him, that same pleasant smile with a little too much teeth.

“Sorry to cut your visit short,” he said jovially.

Gintoki bowed to Hijikata. “We'll finish this soon, okay?”

“Yeah... or we could move onto the next part, if you want.”

It was just like with his brother where he was left out of all the important things and only told the bare minimum. Just then, Hijikata didn't care too much about showing Gintoki around. If they did it later, then it'd be just like this time where Gintoki did what he needed to appease Hijikata and it'd felt like he'd been boring Gintoki most of the time anyway.

“Really? You'd be fine with that?”

Hijikata shrugged. “Sure? Go do whatever you've gotta do, we'll setup the next part later.”

Gintoki paused, not leaving right away, and he didn't smile like Hijikata thought he would. Instead, he looked at Hijikata quizzically and seemed suddenly reluctant to leave. It wasn't until Sakamoto cleared his throat that Gintoki bowed again, said goodbye, and left with Scab trailing behind him. For his part, Hijikata went to his room and changed into something more comfortable so that when his brother got back, he'd be ready for the lecture he was surely going to receive.

-o-O-o-

Gintoki returned to his clan late in the night and went straight for Otose's chambers. She was waiting up for him in one of her large over-stuffed chairs and her eyes swept over him critically as he stood before her.

“Did everything go okay?” Otose asked.

“With the visit or the other thing?”

“Both.”

“The visit went well, but I'm biased and a poor judge of that stuff. You'd have to ask Scab if you want to know how it really went.”

“I already did and from what he told me, I'd say you did well.”

Gintoki patted himself on the chest, saying, “I wasn't stabbed, so there's that.”

“Yes, unfortunately that's how low we've had to set the bar because of you,” she said drily. “Is he placated?”

“So far! After being there for a bit, I think I've found the offer he won't be able to refuse. You don't need to worry about him backing out, I promise. He said he was ready to set a time for the gift giving part! When we exchange gifts, I'll make this offer to him and after that, I don't think he'll even consider backing out.”

“I'll trust you to handle that, then.”

“It's under control.”

She nodded, pleased. “And the other thing?”

“If you've already spoken to Scab, then you know all about this.”

“You have nothing more you want to add?”

“Not right now,” he replied and plucked at his clothes. “I just wanna get out of these clothes.”

“Do we need to have another talk about the amount of clothing you ruin with blood stains?”

“Hmm... let's have that talk when the blood staining my clothes belongs to me.”

Otose inclined her head. “Very well. We'll talk more in the morning.”

Gintoki said goodnight and despite he'd had that day, he headed to the baths with mixed feelings.

**To Be Continued**

 


End file.
